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Chapter Text

Thanos awoke to the sound of music worthy of a military camp. He ran a hand through his purple hair and straightened.

He looked around, and saw a hundred people, all dressed in the same green jogging suit, and a number.

“230.” He looked down at his sweatpants and winced.

He stood up and made his way to the center of the room, stretching slightly, when a door opened and masked men dressed in pink burst into the large dormitory.

The one in the middle, with a square on his face, spoke. “I would like to extend a hearty welcome to all of you. Everyone here will participate in six different games over six days. Those who win all six games will receive a handsome cash prize.”

After this short introduction, some participants started asking questions.

To be honest, Thanos didn’t give a damn who they were, or why they were so mysterious. All he cared about was, where his shoes had gone.

“What’s with these shoes? My shoes are limited fucking edition. They’re hard to find! You going to replace them if they get ruined?” Fuck! They had also cost him a fortune.

He grunted. They’d better give it back to him intact at the end of the game.

Another player protested, insisting that he needed to follow the crypto market in real time.

The man in the square pressed a remote control, and a video appeared on the screen.

“Player 333, Lee Myung-gi. Age 30, used to run a YouTube channel called ‘MG Coin.’”

Thanos tilted his head to spot Player 333 in the crowd. The bastard was there too. Perfect, now he could beat the shit out of him. He was sure that he wasn’t his only victim. Maybe he’d find some allies soon.

His proud smile vanished when his face appeared on the screen. He lowered his head in shame, watching the reactions around him.

Seeing himself on the video and hearing the amount of his debt made him think back to that day, on the bridge. No matter how hard he tried to hide it, it was painful.

Once he’d found out the final prize pool, and the giant pig, which was empty for the moment, it was time to officially signed up by signing the “contract.”

Thanos had just met player 124, Nam-su. The latter had also been MG Coin's victim.

While waiting his turn, Thanos saw Nam-su approach MG Coin, who had just finished signing the paper.

“The amazing Myung-gi from MG Coin? Is that you?”

Thanos stepped out of line to join him. Player 333 took a few steps back when he saw him coming. He hadn’t even said a word to him, and this weakling was already scared... Interesting.

“Who are you?”

“You may not know me, but I know you. MG Coin. I was subscribed to your channel. And I lost a shitload of money, asshole.”

“So, did I.”

“You’ve got the wrong person.”

The little bastard dared to deny it, although his name had been mentioned loud and clear. He tried to get through, but Thanos put a firm hand on his chest to pull him back.

“I watched your content all day, every day. Now I even see you in my dreams, motherfucker.” He put his arm on his new ally’s shoulder. “Was your name Nam-su?”

“It’s Nam-gyu. From Club Pentagon.”

“Right.” He didn’t give a shit. “Thanks to you, I bonded quickly with Nam-gyu here. Because we shared the same pain.”

“What do you want from me?”

Furious that he was playing innocent, Thanos grabbed him by the back of the neck as the other players looked on in amazement. “What do you think? Give me my money.”

Myung-gi withdrew his hand, as best he could, freeing himself. “Did I force you to buy that coin?”

“You told us to bet it all, you fucker. You swore it’d shoot up. You said we’d be fucking idiots if we didn’t buy it!” He was very close to sticking one in his face.

“You are responsible for the final decision on your investment. Didn’t you hear me say that at the end? You said you watched every day.”

This time it was too much, he couldn’t hold back any longer. The big jerk was out to get him, making him look like a fool.

Thanos raised his fist to punch him, but a soft voice stopped him dead in his tracks.

“Technically, if you exerted any psychological pressure, you can be considered responsible.”

Thanos turned and looked at the young woman, a small smile on his lips. He slowly lowered his fist. “You see, listen to the lawyer.”

She looked away, as if she regretted her intervention, but answered him anyway. “I’m not a lawyer.”

Thanos’s smile widened. “Listen to the pretty, intelligent señorita.”

“I didn’t force them to invest.”

She approached slowly. “If in each of your videos, you push people to believe you by calling them idiots. By hearing it repeatedly again, they’ll trust you, even if they have their doubts.”

Myung-gi, didn’t back down. “Everyone knows that trading isn’t an exact science.” He wanted to have the last word.

She let out a small sigh. “Sure. But if you didn’t take the time to specify it in every video when you know it very well. And if, on top of it, you put that pressure, you become responsible for it. You almost become a hustler, and they, the victims.”

Thanos laughed out loud. He pushed Player 333 aside and approached the young woman, walking oddly. “If this asshole doesn’t make enough money, I’ll hire you to be my lawyer on the way out. To sue his ass.”

This time she lowered her head, unable to look him in the eye. “Like I already told you, I’m not a lawyer.”

Thanos raised an eyebrow, and watched her walk away, a smirk hovering on his face. He was amused and intrigued.

~~~~~

What’s happened in her brain to make her be noticed in the first hour? She had always stayed in the background, preferring to observe rather than speak. And yet, she had intervened in a story that was none of her business. She had opened her mouth, drawing attention to herself. Something she hated more than anything.

After moving away, she sat down on the bed she’d woken up on, hoping that no one would come to make conversation, waiting for the first game.

But she couldn’t help observing the purple-haired man. It was hard not to notice, with his style, the way he walked and talked. His confidence and charisma could break through the screen.

He was so dramatic that it made her laugh, even though he was supposed to look dangerous.

There was something else about him. Something she couldn’t define, but it intrigued her.

That’s why she’d come between the two men earlier.

~~~~~

Thanos slowly approached the young woman, who was sitting on one of the beds, her back against the wall, her head bowed. He could see that she was fiddling with her fingers, pulling at the skin around her bitten nails.

“Yo, señorita.”

She shyly raised her eyes to him, but didn’t answer. She just looked at him curiously.

Thanos clung to the bed frame on either side so he could climb onto the empty bed next to hers.

He imitated her position, his back against the wall. But instead of crossing his legs, he bent one, his foot flat against the thin mattress, and rested his forearm on his knee, in a position that could be described as cool and relaxed.

“Admit it, that was bullshit.”

She finally looked up at him. “No, it’s all true.”

“Really?” He raised an eyebrow, unconvinced.

She shrugged. “I suppose so. At least in cop shows, that’s the truth.” He let out a small laugh.

He placed his index finger on her mouth, and placed his second on her lips. “It’ll be our little secret.”

She couldn’t help smiling against his finger. “Okay.”

“Hm...” He tilted his head into his palm, looking at her as if she were interesting. “What else have you learned in your series?”

She looked at him very seriously and said. “How to get rid of a body, and especially, how never get caught.”

This time, he burst out laughing. His painted nails came to hold his chest and little crow’s feet formed around his eyes.

A little more comfortably, she continued. “You’d have to be a real idiot to kill someone in your house with a hammer, with all that blood splattering on the walls. Oh, the worst are those who have an accomplice, and send a message like... ‘It’s done.’”

“You’re really something, beauty lawyer.”

The way he said it, with his exaggerated accent and brilliant smile, made her feel a pleasant warmth that spread throughout her body. She felt the blush rise to her cheeks, her shyness resurfacing.

“I...” She cleared her throat to regain her composure. “I’m not a lawyer.”

He shrugged. “I know, bitch.”

She should have insulted him at the nickname, but instead she almost snorted like a pig. It sounded so funny coming out of his mouth. And the look on his face! He tried to act tough, but he just looked comical.

She didn’t know if his craziness was contagious or if she felt like she could be herself around him, but she added, raising her hands. “Okay... Bitch.”

His eyes widened, surprised at first, then he let his head fall back, laughing out loud.

He was a ball of red energy, while she was a tiny blue crescent. He was her opposite, and yet she had the feeling that, if she dug deeper, they might be a lot more similar than she thought.

The whole situation was crazy. It was, like, fourth dimensional. But it was pleasant and calming.

She felt much lighter and less stressed before starting the first game.

They’d just arrived, and maybe she’d already found an ally, which was cool.

Chapter Text

After the announcement of the first game, they all made their way down a wide corridor, adorned with flashy staircases that seemed endless.

She had decided to move away from Thanos when player 124 came and stuck to him like gum to a shoe.

As much as she wasn’t afraid of Thanos, despite the previous scene, player 124 sent shivers down her spine. She didn’t know why, since she hadn’t spoken to him, but there was something about him that bothered her. It was as if he was hiding something very dark inside, like a psychopath.

As she stood in line to take her photo, she saw a small crowd forming around Thanos. They all wanted to take a picture with the rapper, but one of the men in pink told them it was forbidden.

She saw him turn around and promise to take one with each of them as they left. Then, as he turned to face the camera, their eyes met. He winked at her.

She shook her head and smiled, but soon her smile turned to laughter, which she hid behind her hand. The pose he’d chosen was rapper-like and a bit “cringe”, as he’d so eloquently put it. But she also found it hilarious and endearing.

If he was really like this in everyday life, his loved ones mustn’t be bored.

~~~~~

She stepped curiously into the vast sand-covered courtyard. Looking up, she saw the sky, blue and clear, and a few birds flying overhead. So they weren’t in a converted underground space.

She stopped dead in her tracks when she made contact with a broad back. She apologized and followed his gaze. At the far end of the room was a giant doll.

“Fuck! She’s even creepier than Chucky and Annabelle put together.”

She had wanted to join Thanos in joking with him about the doll, but he was too busy flirting and rapping for player 196. She felt something disturbing poking her. She suspected what it might be. She shouldn’t, she’d just met him. It was ridiculous.

Maybe it wasn’t jealousy, just disappointment.

In his eyes, she was just another girl. There was nothing special about her. And if she hadn’t interfered during the argument, he’d probably never said a word to her. Because she was used to being the shy, reserved, almost invisible girl.

She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat and shook her head to chase away her thoughts.

She had to concentrate on the game, and the money she could win. That was the only thing that mattered. The reason she was here ... nothing more, nothing less.

~~~~~

At the intonation of the first shot, nobody reacted for a few seconds, until a woman started screaming in fear, causing other players to move.

Player 456 tried to warn them not to move, but in panic they tried to run away.

The more people ran, the more bullets flew across the courtyard.

She was tetanized, as if her feet were glued to the ground, and fortunately for her; otherwise she’d be dead.

She wanted to turn her head to look for Thanos’s crazy purple hair, proof that he was still alive, but she didn’t dare. The slightest movement, even the blink of an eye, could end her life, instantly.

The doll turned to sing again, but absolutely no one dared to move forward.

As the player had explained, when the countdown reached zero, it would also be over. So they had no choice.

At the sound of the robotic voice, the remaining players began to run again, this time following the advice of player 456.

She finally caught sight of Thanos, who looked petrified, while she was relieved. She saw him pull out a large, colorful cross from under his jacket and opened it. He froze as she did, his hand suspended in the air.

At the next turn, she saw him put something in his mouth and put the cross away. If it was an anxiolytic, she’d take one too.

A few more songs, in the dead silence, and she’d be able to join him, and run alongside him.

Only, as soon as the doll was turned towards the tree, she saw Thanos jumping around like a little boy, looking ecstatic. He looked like he was in a different world, as if no one was getting shot in the head with every move.

Shit! Those weren’t anxiolytics, no ... it was drugs. And it was fucking dangerous, considering the situation. If he couldn’t think or control his body, he might move at the wrong moment.

Stepping out from behind her line, she rushed towards him, to help him, just in case, and stopped just behind him.

She’d expected all sorts of strange behavior under the effect of the pill, but certainly not this.

Thanos had just been pushing people, just as the Korean Annabelle had turned towards them.

As if he’d just made a joke, he added with a smile. “Hi.”

She swallowed hard, and felt tears well up in her eyes. Being killed in a game by strangers was one thing, but being responsible for the deaths of others was quite another.

Drugs or not, he couldn’t ignore his actions. He knew what he was doing, at least partially. Or, if he didn’t know, he would know when his pill wore off. And by then, no matter how hard his fall would be, she wouldn’t be there.

She couldn’t be. She would have accepted the drug. Killing innocent people, no.

She decided to think only of herself as she finished the game, crossing the finish line without another glance at the rapper. Or almost... She watched him jump behind the red line, and couldn’t help but feel relieved.

~~~~~

Thanos dragged his feet to the beds and collapsed to the floor, his body trembling. What the fuck had just happened?

He hadn’t hallucinated, players had been shot for losing. It was fucking crazy!

Despite his trance, he immediately thought of his beautiful non-lawyer. He scanned the room for her, and found her, facing him, sitting with her head in her hands.

Despite their distance, he could see her shoulders twitch and her legs shake.

He felt his heart clench in his chest, but he couldn’t help letting out a huge sigh of relief that she was alive.

They’d only known each other for a few hours, but he’d already understood that she was different from the other girls. She was shyer, more reserved, sweeter, but she was also intelligent and shared his sense of humor. Moreover, she didn’t seem to be afraid of him, or a fan of his.

To top it all off, she was gorgeous, in her own way. She wasn’t the makeup doll type, like player 196 (may she rest in peace). No, she was ... natural. Beautiful naturally, without any artifice.

She was the kind of girl he was afraid to date, feeling he wasn’t good enough. He knew he couldn’t treat her like the others, just as an object of pleasure.

No, she would be special and unique. The one who would make your heart beat every time you looked at her. The one you’d want to cherish until the day you died!

When she raised her head, he saw tears streak running down across her cheeks. He waved his hand, even though he felt like an idiot, and gave her a reassuring smile.

But to his astonishment, she didn’t return it. She only gave him an icy glance, lasting barely a second, before getting up to go to bed.

He knew what he’d done. Was he proud of it? Not really, but he wasn’t in control of himself at that moment. And without his colored pastilles, he’d probably be dead by now.

Either he would have been so tetanized that he wouldn’t have been able to move and cross the goal in time. Or he would have been too stressed to control his body and movements, making him move at any moment.

He fidgeted with his collar and imagined a good little rap to take his mind off the blood he’d spattered and the blood he’d caused.

~~~~~

Sitting with her knees curled up against her, she watched the purple-haired man. She saw him almost stagger to the bed, to the point of collapsing on the floor.

Thanos had the same look on his face as when player 196 had been killed right in front of him. His eyes were blank and frightened. This meant that the effects of the drug had worn off, and he had just come back to reality, aware of what had happened and what he had done.

The question was... Did he regret it?

When he waved his hand and had the audacity to smile at her, she assumed not.

Disappointed, she preferred to go to bed, without a word or a glance for anyone.

She had no need for allies who might betray her or die.

~~~~~

Thanos had no time to go and talk to her. The men in pink and armed entered the room.

Half of the survivors retreated in fear, while the others hid under the beds.

They announced the result of the first round without the slightest emotion. As if they hadn’t killed anyone, and yet... Ninety-one people had perished in that first game.

Still dazed, Thanos didn’t dare move. He looked at the screen that displayed the number of players remaining. Three hundred and sixty-five.

Some people began to cry and beg the guards to let them go, even getting down on their knees.

To be honest, even if he didn’t want to die, he had far too much pride to beg for his life. These were the rules of the game, he would accept them. After all, they’d all signed up.

Speaking of rules, the triangle reminded them that after each game, a vote would be taken. And depending on the majority, the game would either continue or stop.

But before the vote began, they would be able to find out how much money had been raised. At least these people’s deaths wouldn’t have been in vain.

At the sight of the giant transparent pig, Thanos, like many other players, was hypnotized by all those bundles of cash falling from the sky, or rather, the ceiling.

After this first game, the jackpot was 9.1 billion.

Thanos smiled like a fool. Not only would he be able to pay off his debt, he was also going to be able to start from zero, without worrying about money. He could go back to rapping and never invest in the crypto market again.

Unfortunately, his smile faded when the triangle announced how much each player had actually won.

“Twenty million?” His lip trembled. “You said 45.6 billion!”

Thanos had immediately thought of leaving when the 9 billion was announced. But now... He couldn’t go back to his miserable life with 20 million.

What’s the point of living if you’re dead in the eyes of society? And inside.

He needed at least 2 billion to pay off his debt, and have something to live on until he could get back on his feet.

Thanos had made up his mind. He was going to vote round. He had no choice. He’d rather die trying to survive a game than die outside, alone, after jumping off a bridge, or being found in a dark alley after an overdose.

He tried to look for his intelligent girl in the crowd, but she was so small that she blended in.

He sighed deeply. He’d have to wait until after the vote to go and talk to her, hoping she wouldn’t be angry with him for his choice.

As he waited his turn, he noticed that his teeth began to nibble his lower lip, a sign that he was anxious. He looked around to make sure no one could see him, then opened his cross and put a blue circle on his tongue.

~~~~~

When the vote began, she got out of bed to join the rest of the survivors. Voting would proceed in descending order. Being player 240, she was going to have to wait a while before she could vote.

She had absolutely no hesitation about her vote. She wanted to get out of here, no matter how shitty her life was on the outside.

When the square masked man called her number, she slowly walked forward, along the two clans that had formed. Her eyes were glued to the screen. For the moment, they were at 84 crosses to 90 rounds; then the beep sounded after her hand made forceful contact with the red buzzer, raising the score to 85 crosses to 90 rounds.

They were still behind, but there were still over a hundred people left.

She turned around under the angry glances of the rounds, and the hopeful ones of the crosses. She sat on the floor in the back without talking to anyone.

All she could do was wait and hope that the rest of the players would make the right choice.

“player 230.”

She immediately looked up and regretted it. Thanos hopped with long strides to the buzzer and, without a moment’s hesitation, firmly pressed the button.

Any lingering doubts about his guilt were erased.

She buried her head in her arms again, and closed her eyes.

~~~~~

They were going to keep going. That meant the price could get bigger.

He searched for his special señorita and found her alone again, in bed with her back against the wall.

Given her reaction before the vote, he preferred not to climb into her bed this time. He clung to the metal frame.

“Yo.” She sighed, tired, but didn’t answer him. Thanos took her silence as an invitation to continue. “Not too shaken up?”

She was almost touched by his concern. Almost!

She didn’t feel like arguing with him as if nothing had happened, so she told him, so he’d go away.

“You should talk to your fans instead. They’ll be happy to.” She didn’t see his smile fade, because she wasn’t looking at him.

He swayed slightly back and forth. “Come on! It’s not like I organized these games.” He tried to joke to lighten the icy atmosphere, but his words had the opposite effect.

On that point, he was right. They were in this together. But still.

She finally looked at him and spat. “You could have! After all, you killed innocent people, just like those clowns in pink!” She shrugged, and buried her head in her lap. “You’re no better than them.”

Thanos felt as if he’d been stabbed. Her words stung him more than he would have liked.

If a girl like her thought that about him, it must surely be true.

He had problems, he was aware of that. Addictions, fights, forgetting words. But he didn’t consider himself a scumbag. He was just a hopeless case who needed help.

The only person he’d hurt more than anyone else was himself. Until today, when he’d deliberately had three people killed, just because he wasn’t in his right mind.

He heaved a deep sigh and returned to his bed, rubbing his fingers against his cross, as if it would protect him.

Chapter Text

A loud noise and insults roused her from her meal. She looked up to see the crypto player leaning over Thanos. Player 124 tried to push him, but failed.

Thanos didn’t need any help anyway. With a punch to the face, he knocked him to the ground. Then, as he stood up, he gave him a second hit, then a third, his gaze filled with hatred.

She didn’t know which one was worse. The fight, or the fact that absolutely no one had any intention of stopping them.

Until she heard a loud, imposing voice. “Boys, what are you doing in the middle of mealtime? No fights during mealtime. There are elders present. Mind your manners.”

This should have been the signal for Thanos to calm down and come to his senses. But no... He apparently preferred to make enemies, which was the stupidest thing to do in a game where your life was threatened.

“Dude, stop running your mouth and take care of your own damn kids.”

She growled deeply. Was this the real Thanos?

All she wanted to do was slap him for his insolence and viciousness. But she didn’t have to, because Player 001 grabbed him by the throat. Thanos tried to rebel, but was quickly taken down, his throat pressed between the older player’s large hands, then released to the applause of the other players.

Not hers. She wouldn’t enjoy seeing someone get hit, even if, in this case, it was deserved.

She sighed again, shaking her head in disappointment at all this violent behavior.

~~~~~

Another new room. This time, there were two round tracks, in rainbow colors, and windows on the walls, giving the impression of being in a children’s park with houses all around.

Contrary to what player 456 had said, it had nothing to do with a choice of shape. Who could blame him but morons? It was logical that games should change from one year to the next.

“Welcome to your second game. This game will be played in teams. Please divide into teams of five in the next ten minutes.”

Damn! She’d rather play solo than put her life in the hands of complete strangers. But she had no choice. No group, and she’d be dead before she even started fighting.

For this kind of alliance, she had two major weaknesses. She was a woman, and she was very shy and reserved.

Despite the situation, she wouldn’t be able to initiate a conversation. She didn’t want to be mocked for having the audacity to think she’d be on someone’s team. She knew it was just paranoia, but she couldn’t help it.

She wandered slowly, head bowed, hoping someone would notice her and offer her to join their team.

A few minutes later, which seemed like an eternity, she was approached by a young woman with a piercing on her lower lip and nose, and a young man who seemed as reserved as she. Players 333 and 125.

“Hi. Do you want to join us?”

She raised her head and gave her a sincere smile. “Yes, thank you.”

She didn’t have time to introduce herself before a voice interrupted them.

“Senorita, excuse me? Let’s play the game together.”

She froze at the sound of his voice, then clenched her fists at her sides. With him, a lost girl was immediately replaced. She wasn’t special. None of them were.

“Well, why should I?”

“I, Thanos the great, will protect you.”

“Right, Thanos. So have you got all the Infinity Stones?”

She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. She didn’t want to capture his attention. Thanos hadn’t seen her because she was hidden behind Se-mi and Min-su.

“Of course. I’m going to destroy anyone who gets in my way!” Yeah, she had no doubt about that. “Just stick with me, and you’ll be safe. Okay?” And to her, would he have said the same thing?

Se-mi wasn’t impressed by the rapper. “I’ve already offered two people to play with me.”

Thanos looked at Nam-gyu, and counted on his fingers. “That’ll be five. It’s perfect! Who’s that?”

When Se-mi moved to reveal them, she saw Thanos lose his confidence for a second. As for his lapdog, he lowered his head with a sigh. Poor pussy, he was going, to team up with two women.

Thanos approached them doing one of his many tricks, almost flashing her a smile.

“Welcome to the Thanos world.”

He gave Min-su a boy hug, as if he’d known him all his life. She saw him hesitate as he turned to her, as if he wanted to hug her too.

Worst of all, she’d probably have let him. She was sure his body was warm and strong. A hug from him would be comforting. And fuck! She could use one.

Instead, she cleared her throat and muttered. “You four go ahead, I’ll be fine.”

She started to turn to leave, but a large hand grabbed her wrist. “Señorita.”

She tore her arm from his grasp, as if he’d burned it. “Don’t call me that!” The nickname wasn’t meant for her personally, and it hurt more than she wanted to admit.

Thanos let out an almost inaudible sigh, but stepped back.

“Forget it, man.” Player 124 gave her a disdainful look. Upset, she returned it.

When the voice of the loudspeaker began counting down, she knew she had no choice. She sighed, then followed them to sit in the center of a round.

~~~~~

Thanos was so mentally out of it that he didn’t even see the first two groups get killed. He felt like he was in the dressing room before one of his concerts, practicing his hand movements. He smiled as he moved his head to the sound of a hip-hop rhythm he remembered.

But his bubble burst when Nam-su, who was sitting next to him on his left, tugged at his sleeve.

He replied, not because he wanted to, but rather to get him off his back so he could return to his world, where he felt more at home.

“What?”

“Can you... Can you please give me one of those?”

“Those?”

“The thing you took. You’re keeping them inside your cross.”

Thanos looked at him, wide-eyed. He’d forgotten that he’d seen him take a little yellow candy earlier in the dorm.

However, he didn’t want to share. “I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.”

“If I get nervous and lose the game, we’ll all die.”

Thanos looked at Nam-su’s trembling hands. For this second day, it was a team game. He’d accept losing solo, but not because of a guy like Nam-su. No way!

He looked around, opened his cross, and handed him a blue dose, which Nam-gyu quickly stuffed into his mouth.

The two men were unaware that the other three members of their team had heard them.

~~~~~

As Player 333 and Player 124 sent insults at each other, she whispered to Thanos, who had started dancing again.

“You want to get us killed?”

He turned to her and raised an eyebrow. “Huh?” She shook her head and reached for his cross, pulling on it. Thanos shrugged, as if it were nothing. “It helps me.”

“To what? Getting us killed?”

Thanos froze. His expression became serious again, as if he’d come to his senses, or the effect of the drug had worn off, even though she knew it hadn’t.

“On the contrary. To making us live.”

She was stunned by this revelation. So much so that she dropped his cross, her mouth opening slightly.

She’d seen him during the first game, he’d been terrified before taking one of his pills, but she didn’t think he’d say it out loud.

She calmed down immediately, and lowered her head, almost ashamed of her judgment.

While waiting for their turn, she couldn’t help glancing at him. This time, she smiled when she saw him waddle at a non-existent rhythm and gesture with his big hands, as if he were on stage. It was as if all her anger had evaporated.

He was in his own world, unaware of what was happening around him.

What better death than not being able to feel it?

Perhaps, he was the smartest of them all.

~~~~~

Thanos was overexcited. Watching the third team pass the first two games in less than a minute and a half was thrilling. He felt like he was at a horse race, with a cheering crowd, bets in hand, praying that their order of arrival would be the right one.

He felt a hand grab his right arm and turned to his “beauty not lawyer”. She was screaming, shaking her fist, and tugging at his sleeve passionately.

After the third mini-game, they stood up to cheer the team on, but when, on the fourth, they only had thirty seconds left, he saw her clasp her hands in front of her, like a prayer.

He raised his hand to put it on her shoulder, but changed his mind. He didn’t know if she’d forgiven him yet.

“Pass.”

This time, she raised both fists in the air, screaming. Thanos, amused and ecstatic, imitated her.

Hearing the final validation, they turned to applaud the team and encourage them to cross the finish line before time ran out.

“One, two. One, two. One, two...”

With one second to go, both competing teams snatched the ribbon from the finish line, victorious.

Squeals of joy rang through the hall.

With their confidence boosted by these two victories, they knew they too could do it, and be saved again.

Thanos watched her clap her hands in Se-mi’s and Min-su’s, jumping up and down like a child. He would have preferred her to clap in his, but he wasn’t going to complain. All that mattered was her smile.

A smile so contagious that he let out a real, sincere one. One he hadn’t had in a very long time. She made him experience emotions he’d never thought he could feel again.

He’d been right, she was special. And if they got out of here alive, he’d make sure she became his special girl.

~~~~~

When it was their turn, the stress was still there, but seeing team after team win the game had given them a huge boost.

When they sat and the various challenges were announced, they agreed that she would start with the Ddakji. Se-mi would do the stone throwing, the biseokchigi. Min-su would follow with what she considered the most difficult game, gonggi. Nam-gyu would spin the top and Thanos would finish with jegichagi.

As her right foot locked onto Se-mi’s, her stress returned. If she missed, she could cost them a precious time. Time they didn’t have.

One of the men in pink placed a red square on the ground and handed her the blue one. She took it with shaking hands.

When the starting signal sounded, she concentrated and threw the folded blue paper with all her strength. The red square lifted off the ground, but didn’t turn over.

She bent down to pick it up as quickly as possible, and did it again, with the same result.

“Shit!” Despite Se-mi and Min-su’s encouragement, she felt tears welling up in her eyes.

Then she heard him, his deep voice, speaking directly to her. “It’s all right, señorita. Don’t worry. Just breathe and go.”

She looked up at him, his intense eyes locked with hers. He gave her a reassuring nod.

She took a deep breath and threw the blue ddakji at the red one, who turned around.

“Yes!” It was Thanos expressing his joy by shouting.

Without waiting, they sang in rhythm. “One, two. One, two. One, two. One, two. One, two.”

Before the game began, she had unfairly thought that if one of them failed, Thanos would have been venomous and insulting, but in reality, he had been quite the opposite. He encouraged the others in his own way, and screamed with joy when a round was validated, even congratulating the person.

On Se-mi’s turn, he showed her how to throw the stone, and pretended to throw it with her. In one drop, they were able to move forward.

Min-su had more trouble with the biseokchigi, and the fact that Nam-gyu was yelling at him and insulting him hadn’t helped. But Thanos had told him to calm down, in a threatening tone, and had encouraged his new “bro”.

Shortly afterwards, Min-su had succeeded in his turn.

When Nam-gyu was about to throw the spinning top, Thanos had even given him a dance of encouragement, waving his arms in circles. Once again, with a single spin, it was all over.

Thanos had hit the jegichagi as if he’d been doing it all his life. He had bounced it five times in a row, at lightning speed, allowing them to cross the finish line, safely, with thirty seconds left on the clock.

She was sure that the positive energy he’d instilled in them throughout the game had helped them win, and save themselves.

~~~~~

Back in the dorm, happy but exhausted, he saw his shy beauty leaning forward, head bowed, her hair falling in front of her eyes. “Thank you for taking me on your team. And thank you for... everything.”

Thanos noticed that she let her attention remain on him much longer. A small smile played on his lips. It grew larger, when she looked over her shoulder at him again, as she walked to her bed, without another word.

He stood there, watching her as she sat cross-legged on the floor. Her head was resting in her palm. Her index finger tapped against her cheek as she slowly moved her head from side to side, her eyes closed. She seemed more relaxed than at the end of the first game.

A voice brought him out of his thoughts. “Are you coming?” It was Nam-su.

He watched him walk away with the rest of their little group. He started to move toward them to join them, but changed his mind and, went the other way, toward her.

“Later, man.”

He didn’t see Nam-gyu’s frown or dark look.

~~~~~

She let out a small sigh of relief. Miraculously, she was still here, and although she had to feel sorry for the dead, the only thing she could think of was that she was alive, and so was he.

Speaking of the wolf... Either he had great instincts, really good timing, or his ears had been on edge.

“Hey, still mad?”

Fuck! She wanted to, but she couldn’t.

Was it because of his stupidly brilliant smile, his fiery personality, or his oversized self-confidence, which she secretly envied?

Or because, without him (and the others), she’d be dead. Or his honesty and attitude during the game?

She didn’t know. On the other hand, she did know that she was no one to make a judgment on anyone in this room. After all, they were all there, at least the ones who remained, for the same reason. A debt. They all had their demons, their own despair.

In this game of death, they were all on the same level. Perhaps everything that happened within these walls had to stay there, like Las Vegas.

The human being was an extremely complex (and selfish) being.

Each person reacts differently to an imposing amount of stress. In this case, add death and a colossal sum of money, and a man could turn into a bloodthirsty, lawless beast.

They’d only played two games, but if they went any further, she herself might be led to betray people, or worse, just to save her skin. Kill or be killed.

Fuck! All emotions were tenfold. You could go from love, to hate, to fear, to euphoria in a matter of minutes. It was terrifying and uncontrollable. She hated it.

She looked up and gave him a small smile, followed by an almost embarrassed pout. “Not anymore.”

She thought she saw something light up in his eyes, but she must be dreaming. Why would he be happy that she wasn’t mad at him anymore? He had fans, and a bodyguard who followed him around like a dog.

Thanos sat next to her, as he had done during their first conversation. Apparently, he didn’t resent her.

They remained in a comfortable silence until she decided to engage in a conversation, which was quite an exploit for her.

“How did you get here?”

“Long story.”

She shrugged. “We’ve got until tomorrow, or longer, so...”

He turned his head toward her, and tilted it. He almost looked like a cat. “Don’t you think the crosses will win?”

She let out a soul-splitting sigh. “Unfortunately, no. And to be honest, as much as I want to go, the amount we’ve raised isn’t enough.”

“Hm. How much do you owe?”

What she liked most about him was that he gave her the impression that he was genuinely interested in her answers.

“Fifty million.”

Thanos looked up and pouted, as if he were doing some complex calculation in his head. But his answer was unexpected. “Is that all?”

She let out a laugh. “Sure, with a debt of over a billion, it’s nothing next to mine.” She saw his eyes darken and bit her lip. She wanted to punch herself. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. It wasn’t...”

“Don’t worry, señorita.” He told her with a smile. A smile she returned.

“So... I guess you’ll be voting cross?”

“Are you going to be mad at me if I do?” His voice, usually so sure, was almost shy.

“No.” She answered without even thinking, because it was true. Thanos seemed satisfied with her answer because he gave her a beaming smile. “So, how did you get here?”

“How about you?”

“I asked the question first.”

This time, he looked at her with sparkling eyes, and a shit-eating grin.

She looked away, unable to maintain eye contact. Especially not with him. She was sure he could read her like an open book.

At his silence, she pushed her shoulder against his, with a pout.

“You’re really something, my beauty lawyer.”

She couldn’t stop the blush from rising to her cheeks. She still wasn’t a lawyer, but the nickname did something to her. Because, unlike señorita, it was meant for her and her alone.

She didn’t have time to reply as the men in pink came to announce the result.

Thanos stood up first. He held out both hands to help her do the same. She didn’t hesitate for a second.

His hands were soft, although she could feel that some of his pads were slightly calloused.

Her hands looked so small in his. His polished fingers were long and slightly thick. The cold metal of his rings contrasted with the warmth of his palm.

She wondered what it would be like to feel his fingers on her skin, on her stomach, her thighs, her breasts and inside...

She shook her head sharply from side to side to chase away her thoughts. This game was to blame. Being trapped and playing for her life were driving her crazy.

Thanos didn’t appeal to her at all, with his stupid purple hair, his idiot rap, his irresistible shiny smile, and his sexy fucking tattoos.

No! No! No! Stop!

She had to concentrate. The only thing that mattered was the result, then the votes.

~~~~~

Thanos had held her tiny hands in his longer than necessary, but they were so soft. He couldn’t help it. And she didn’t seem to mind.

This time, 110 players had been eliminated. That left only half of the candidates. The total prize pool was twenty billion won. But per person, that meant around eighty million won.

Thanos looked at her small form. “You’ll be able to pay off your debt.”

She offered him a smile. “Yes.” Her smile faded. “But you won’t.”

Thanos closed his eyes and let out a laugh. She really was too nice and sweet for this world.

He shrugged and reassured her. “It’s all right. But you should stop worrying so much about other people.”

“Why?”

“Because... In a world like this, people take advantage of other people’s kindness and naivety.”

She frowned. “I’m not naive.” He looked at her with his head bowed. “I’m not!” She crossed her arms over her chest and puckered her bottom lip into a pout.

Thanos chuckled. “All right, all right. If you say so.” He nudged her hip, making her laugh.

They separated again, as the voting began. Thanos was on the side of the circles, and she was on the side of the crosses.

It didn’t matter that they disagreed on their choice. They both had good reasons to vote one way or the other.

Even if they weren’t on the same team for the votes, it wouldn’t stop them from fighting together in future games.

Unsurprisingly, the rounds won again, with 139 votes to 116.

~~~~~

After the votes, it was time to eat. She collected her food and went to sit on the floor in front of the beds.

Thanos joined her for a few seconds later with his famous walk, and sat next to her. She burst out laughing when she saw his discomfited expression at their meal of the day.

“Seriously? A roll and a carton of milk.”

“We’re playing child’s games, what did you expect? Steak?” He shook his head gently and sighed. “Come on, you need your strength back.”

Thanos bit into the bun as if it hurt him personally. “Fuck! It’s not even stuffed.”

She shook her head, amused. “I think this children’s snack is very appropriate for you.”

Thanos looked at her questioningly, not getting her joke, until he did.

“Hey!” A breadcrumb landed on her jacket.

She dusted it off with a disgusted face, which made him laugh. “Besides, you eat like a pig.”

“A what?” He chuckled.

“A pig!”

“You sound like an old mother.”

This time her mouth opened in indignation. “Hey!” Thanos tapped her chin with his fingers to close it.

They continued to tease each other as they ate until Thanos’s gaze settled on something, or rather, someone.

With a last bite, he finished his bun. He drank his milk in one gulp and stood up.

“I’ll be right back.”

She looked at him, surprised by his change of mood. She said nothing, just nodded. She didn’t take her eyes off him until he left the room to go to the bathroom.

She hoped he wouldn’t do anything stupid in there, and incur the wrath of the other players.

~~~~~

Thanos had had to leave his beauty to finish her meal alone. He had to take care of something in the men’s room.

He’d seen Myung-gi, the traitor, go in there. It was time for them to have another little chat.

Thanos pushed open the bathroom door and headed straight for player 333, who was relieving himself. He grabbed the red velcro with the white cross on it.

“You traitor. How can you take a piss under these circumstances?”

Myung-gi tried to walk away, but Nam-gyu stopped him once again. “Just finish. You’ll get an infection if you stop midstream.”

Myung-gi pushed him away and went to the other side of the room to wash his hands.

Thanos, who had followed him, turned off the tap. “Were you really trying to get out? What can you even do with 70 million? That’s not even enough to pay me back. You need to pay me back, and also compensate for the damage you did to my soul.”

“How many times do I have to tell you? That con’s price did go up. You held out for more cash but didn’t sell at the right time. And I have the freedom to decide if I want to leave.”

“I don’t care for your fucking tone.” For once, Thanos agreed with Nam-gyu. That he dared to raise his voice drove him crazy. “Hey, should I just rip his mouth off?”

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, on the contrary, but he knew that if he did, his señorita would probably be angry with him.

“You have the freedom? You don’t have such a thing. You’re my slave until you pay me back. My slave. So you have to keep playing the games until the end. And who knows? You might win the entire prize alone.” He invented a little rap. “Then I will get my money back, and you will get your happiness back.”

“If I won the prize alone, that’d mean you’re dead. Why would I pay you back if you were dead?”

Yeah, well, this time he was right, but that wasn’t what he’d meant. Whatever, he’d pissed him off, and he’d understood himself. That’s the most important.

“How do you even remember your lyrics?” The little bastard was starting to step on a slippery slope. “Oh, right. You forgot the lyrics in the show’s finale.”

Fuck! This time, it was too much. This was the sensitive subject not to be broached with him. Everyone had memory lapses, even the best.

Thanos mentally apologized to his señorita, then grabbed MG COIN’s throat, preventing him from breathing. “You son of a bitch. Got a death wish?”

Just then, the elders burst into the bathroom. Thanos reluctantly let go of Myung-gi. “I’m watching you.” He left the bathroom, angrier than ever. He wanted to punch a wall.

~~~~~

It was time to sleep, she was physically and mentally exhausted, and yet she couldn’t do it. She tossed and turned in her small bunk, sighing.

She was no stranger to insomnia, and she knew it was useless to insist. On the contrary, it made it worse.

She got up slowly, not wanting to wake the other sleepers. She got out of bed gently and crept across the room to Thanos’s bed.

In her short way, she noticed that other people had not been swept off their feet by sleep. Particularly, player 456, who was chatting with another player.

In the dim yellowish light, she saw that Thanos wasn’t asleep either. He was lying on his bed, one arm behind his head and the other playing with his cross. His eyes were closed, but his lips were moving, as if he were singing, and his head moved gently from side to side.

As if he had sensed her presence, he opened his eyes and looked at her.

She gave him a shy smile. “May I?” Thanos shifted to give her some space. She came to lie down next to him. “Thank you.”

Since the beds were made for one person, their bodies touched at the shoulders, hips, and thighs.

Sincerely she wasn’t going to complain about it, and neither was he.

“Trouble sleeping?” He whispered to her in a husky voice.

“Yeah. You?”

“Yeah.”

“Does this happen to you often?”

“Hm... Yes. But lately it’s been okay.” She didn’t tell him that it was thanks to medication that she could finally enjoy long, peaceful nights of sleep. “You?”

“No.”

She turned her head toward him. His hand still held his cross. “Are you... high?”

He looked at her, a small smirk on his face, but she saw the fatigue in his eyes. “No. I save it for the games.”

“Do you think you’ll stop if you get out of here?” She bit her lip. She felt like she was being too curious, but she wanted to know more about him and his demons.

He let out a humorless laugh. “Yeah, that’s not really planned.” He paused and added with a mumble. “It’s the only thing I’ve gotten left.”

If she hadn’t been glued to him, she probably wouldn’t have heard him. “Don’t you have any family?” She didn’t want to push him or break his boundaries, but she couldn’t help it.
“I have a mother, but...” She heard him let out a sigh. “She must be sick of my bullshit.”

“Did she tell you that?”

“Nah.”

“Then I’m sure she didn’t. You’re still her son.”

His shoulders slumped. “A son addicted to pills and over a billion won in debt.”

She shrugged, as if it were a detail. “Nobody’s perfect.”

He laughed, shaking his head gently. “If you say so.”

She nudged him. “I’m the smart one here, I remind you. Then you should listen to me.”

His laughter grew louder, but she put a hand over his mouth to hush him. “Sorry.” He patted her head with the tip of his index finger. “What about you? My pretty, smart girl, what’s your story?”

She sighed softly. “As you can see, I’m not Korean. I came because I needed a change of air... of life.” She huffed. “Talk about bullshit. I didn’t think it could get any worse.”

“How crappy was your life that you decided to leave it all like that?”

“It wasn’t that horrible. I was just tired of feeling like shit, and not being able to get back on track. And it was hurting my family.”

Thanos gave her a compassionate look. Not because he pitied, but because he knew exactly what it was like.

“I was going to jump off a bridge.” She turned her head so fast she thought she was getting whiplash. “Then this guy showed up with his djjaki and his card. I’m not religious, but I thought maybe it was a sign.”

“I know it’s twisted, but... I’m glad he found you at that moment.”

“If you knew me from the outside, you wouldn’t say that.”

She repositioned herself. She lay on her stomach, her head, turned toward him, resting on her crossed arms.

“Thanos?”

Thanos turned on his side, facing her, and rested his head in his palm. “You can call me Su-Bong, you know?”

She felt her heart beat faster against her chest. She felt... privileged. She gave him a bright smile. “Su-Bong?”

“Yeah, smart beauty?”

“If we get out of here, can we see each other again?” Under his intense gaze, she blushed. “I mean... as... as... survivors.” She wanted to punch herself, it didn’t mean anything.

Thanos gave her a shit-eating grin. He loved to see her stammering, all shy. “Oh, would you miss me?”

She hid her crimson face in her arms and mumbled incomprehensible words. She lifted her head. “Forget it.”

Thanos’s smile faded momentarily. “I’m not sure you’ll want to anymore once you’ve seen who I really am.”

“I think I already know.” She stroked his cross with her fingertips. “Su-Bong.”

Thanos was arrogant, self-centered, addicted to drugs, with a violent streak. Su-Bong just looked like a sad, even sensitive, soft man who needed someone to help him get his life back together.

At that moment, she told herself that she wouldn’t mind being that person. She didn’t want to change him for herself, but for him. Because before he was Thanos, the rapper, he was Su-Bong, the man.

This man already existed. He just needed to take back the upper hand on the double that served as his wall.

If he wanted to, she’d be there outside to prevent him from falling back into his old habits.

~~~~~

Two days ago, she was still a stranger, and yet she seemed to know and understand him better than any of the people he’d come in contact with, since the beginning of his career.

Probably because those “friends” were only interested in the rapper, not the person he was.

But she saw beyond that.

He doesn’t know if he’d have had the strength to stop all this bullshit, walking out of here, without her. His so-called friends might not even have noticed his absence. Then, they would have offered him new things that would have made him forget everything.

But now he wanted to be himself again, as Su-Bong and not as Thanos. He wanted to clear his debt, reconnect with his mother, and create a new circle of friends. Most of all, he wanted to say goodbye to all the crap he was taking.

He knew it wouldn’t be easy. But he was no longer alone. He’d found his special girl, and he never wanted to let her go. He would never ruin her, she was too precious and innocent.

As he watched her sleep, her arms wrapped around him, he knew he’d let her take care of him. And he would return the favor in his own way.

Thanos let out a sigh of relief. He wrapped his long arms around her small body and closed his eyes. Like her, a few minutes earlier, he fell asleep.

Chapter Text

“The third game will begin momentarily.”

She mumbled as she heard the voice coming from the speakers. She tried to get up, but two strong arms held her against a warm body.

She slowly raised her head and met Thanos’s sleepy, but mischievous, gaze.

“Shit!” She almost jumped to get away from him. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize, señorita. It was one of the best nights of my life.” He tucked a lock of hair back behind her ear.

She almost choked on her saliva. Her face must have turned red already. How could he be always so direct and casual? It was as if he says banalities.

It was also one of the best nights she’d ever had too, serene, long, and restful. Unlike him, she couldn’t just tell him. It was too... embarrassing.

She didn’t have time to give him a rational word, even though she wouldn’t have been able to, because Nam-Gyu climbed onto the bed as if he’d been invited.

He ignored her completely and asked Thanos for a colored lozenge.

She started to get up to leave, but Thanos grabbed her by the sleeve. She looked at him and smiled. He looked almost like a puppy.

“I have to go to the bathroom before the game starts.” It wasn’t a complete lie.

The truth was, she couldn’t stay in the same space as player 124. He always looked evil, and then he seemed to hate her, for no reason at all. If she ever died in these games, she was sure it would be his fault.

Thanos hesitated before letting her go. She wasn’t sure if it was because she’d had a great night in his arms, or just because she was dreading this third game, but she winked at him before walking away.

As he popped a pastille into his mouth, she saw him follow her with a dazed look and an idiot smile.

~~~~~

The third room was almost spectacular. A giant carousel, adorned with a horse, was set up in the center of the room. Colorful gates surrounded the room.

“Welcome to your third game. The game you will be playing is Mingle. Let me repeat. The game you will be playing is Mingle.”

Thanos looked at his team members, smiling like a child. “Hey, we’ll be mingling together. Doesn’t that sound like so much fun?”

He was overexcited, so much so that he danced all the way to the merry-go-round, twirling around.

She looked at him, tenderly. He was so endearing.

“All players, please step onto the center platform. When the game starts, the platform will begin to rotate, and you will hear a number. You must form groups of that size, go into the rooms, and close the door within 30 seconds.”

Thanos takes her by the arm, surprising her. “I’m don’t let you.”

Touched, she tightened her grip on him. She wouldn’t let go of him either.

“What if it’s smaller than five?” She asked, already worried.

She knew the organizers were devious, and would do anything to make allies betray each other.

They all looked at each other until Se-mi said. “We’ll figure it out as we go.”

Surprising them all, the merry-go-round began to turn slowly, and a song echoed through the dimly lit room.

“Round and round. Clap! Round and round. Clap! Let’s go around in circles and dance. We will clap our hands and sing. Clap! La, la, la, la, let’s have fun dancing. Ring-a, ring-a, ring-a. Ring-a, ring-a-ring. Ring-a, ring-a, ring-a. Ring-a, ring-a-ring. We will go hand in hand. And have fun jumping around.”

Thanos spun his fist in the air, rhythmically, enjoying himself as if he were on a real carousel. Strangely enough, it helped her relax before the ride started.

The railway stopped abruptly, almost knocking them over. Then the female voice announced the number.

“Ten.”

The players began to shout out the number of people they needed to reach ten. Most of them were already five, thanks to the previous game. All they had to do was find another team still alive.

They had no trouble finding five more people. When the number was announced, a team of five approached them and invited them to join, which they did without hesitation.

With his arm still attached to hers, they ran as fast as they could to reach one of the doors before time ran out.

When she heard the click of the lock, she leaned against the wall and breathed a sigh of relief.

She didn’t know how long they stayed in the enclosed space, but it felt like an eternity.

The wait was even worse when the announcement of the eliminated players broke the tense silence.

When they were finally able to exit, they returned to the platform, avoiding the puddles of blood.

The merry-go-round began to spin, and the music started.

While Thanos and Nam-gyu were enjoying themselves, everyone else was dreading the sudden stop and the announcement of the number.

“Four.”

Shit... the first dilemma.

Thanos looked at Min-su and Nam-gyu as he thought... Well, not really, because he was in no condition to do so.

“Min-su, you’re out.” Just as he raised his foot to strike, she stopped him.

“Su-Bong, no!” She heard one of the players ask someone else to come over. “You four, go ahead. I’ll find someone.”

Thanos didn’t have time to react before he was dragged away by the other three. He turned his head in all directions, like a maniac, to see her.

Once locked in, he pressed his forehead against the skylight and swallowed hard. When he heard the first machine-gun fire, he shouted. “Señorita!”

At the sound of the click, he rushed outside. He couldn’t stand still, a veritable electric pile, and he knew it had nothing to do with drugs.

“Su-Bong!”

Thanos turned his head so fast that he felt his neck snap. He ran toward her and put his hands on her shoulders. “Never do that again!”

He took her hand in his, and squeezed it hard enough that she couldn’t pull away, but without hurting her.

She pressed his hand gently and gave him a smile. “Promise.”

Hand in hand, they returned to the center for the third round.

This time, Thanos moved his hands in the air from right to left, pulling her along with him, because their fingers were still intertwined.

“Three.”

Thanos took his head in his hands. “Okay, let me think.”

“You three go ahead. We’ll figure it out.” She pulled him by the hand so they could go and find a third person.

Instinctively, Thanos grabbed the first woman in his path and took her with them, without asking her opinion. “You come with us.”

As they reached one of the doors, someone pushed her, causing her to drop. She fell to the ground. “Ah!”

Thanos turned to help her, but Nam-gyu pushed him into the room and closed the door behind them.

“No!” Thanos rushed to the door to look for her, but he didn’t see her. Furious, he turned to Nam-su and slammed him against the wall, his forearm on his throat. “What’s your fucking problem?”

“What’s yours?”

“I swear, if she didn’t make it, you’ll be next!”

Thanos spun around like a caged lion in the narrow space. He held his head in his hands and shook it from side to side. The wait was agony.

When he heard the door unlock, he opened it with such force that it shattered against the wall. He desperately searched for his girl.

The door next to his opened slowly. First, he saw Min-su emerge, then Se-mi, and finally her.

Her head was bowed and her steps were shuffling, as if she were about to collapse. Before she could lose her balance, he rushed toward her, and held her by the elbows.

“Hey.”

She raised her head, her cheeks streaked with tears. When she saw that it was him, she wiped her tears with her sleeve and gave him a small smile. “Hey.”

“I’m sorry, I...”

She shook her head. “It’s not your fault.” She turned her head and glared at Nam-gyu, who was watching them.

Thanos followed her gaze. “You’re lucky. But you’re not coming close to her again!” There was no hint of a joke in his tone.

“All that for a pussy.”

Thanos was about to leap up and punch him, but she held him firmly.

The game wasn’t over yet. They had to keep going. This time, he wouldn’t let her go, even if it meant to carrying her on his back or like a princess until they were locked in one of the rooms.

By the time they were back in place, the tension was at its height.

“Six.”

Nam-gyu shouted. “One person! We’re missing a person!”

Thanos shoved him. “You’re dreaming. You’re out of the race.”

“You need me.” He spat.

“Thanos, there’s no time.” She looked at him pleadingly.

Se-mi brought a terrified-looking young man toward them. “It’s okay.”

“Shit. If you try anything again, I’ll kill you myself.”

Seeing that they only had ten seconds left, they sprinted to an orange door.

This time, they made it through in extremis.

They were all getting tired, and the increasing amount of blood on the floor didn’t help them relax. Their nerves were on edge.

The robotic voice announced the final round as the players climbed onto the turntable.

Thanos breathed a sigh of relief. Because of this game, he’d felt like he was on a thrill ride, but with his emotions.

“One more, then it’s over.”

Thanos felt her small hand tighten around his. “Yeah.” He offered her a smile and raised their intertwined hands. “What do you think it’ll be this time?”

“Two.”

“Why, Einstein?”

She nudged him at the nickname and stuck her tongue out at him. “There are 126 people left, and there are 50 rooms. So there won’t be enough rooms for everyone, only for 100 people.”

Thanos had no time to be impressed by her deduction when the number was announced.

“Two.”

Without missing a beat, they ran as fast as they could to a purple door.

She saw that Se-mi and Min-su were heading for the next door at the same speed. She didn’t even feel sorry for Nam-gyu, who was left behind. But she was sure the bastard would survive. He clung to life as a crab to a pair of balls.

She closed the door behind her and surprised Thanos by taking him in her arms. “We did it.”

She gave him a brilliant smile, which he returned. Thanos wrapped his arms around her and stroked her back comfortingly.

As their eyes locked on each other, Thanos slowly leaned in. Without hesitation, she closed her eyes and licked her lips.

“Game over.”

Still not feeling his lips on hers, she reopened her eyes and saw Thanos’s sneering gaze and shit-eating grin.

“Game over.”

She blushed and hid in his jacket, then pulled away from him almost immediately. She cleared her throat and said to him. “Come on, let’s go find out the results.”

~~~~~

Fuck! He almost kissed his princess. He didn’t even know why he’d stopped when he heard the voice of the other bitch behind the microphone.

Probably because he’d already imagined slamming her up against the wall and kissing her hungrily. He would have pulled down her pants, ripped off her panties and made her scream his name, so that all the other players still present could hear. He would have fucked her without concession.

But... He knew they wouldn’t have had time for that, and instead he’d have ended up with a huge, uncomfortable boner in his tracksuit.

Damn it! If only... Maybe they could find time to go to the bathroom, or wait until everyone was asleep.

Thanos shook his head. He mustn’t even think about it, or his erection would kick in. He needed to calm down and think about gross stuff.

She wasn’t making it easy. She was so beautiful, and since the end of the game, she’d been very tactile with him. Even when she wasn’t, their bodies were still touching, because they were standing so close.

Just as she had predicted, only a hundred players remained. The jackpot was 35 billion won. He would pocket 356 million won.

Thanos had just realized that, to be able to repay his debt in full, there would have to be just over 25 players left. Given the number of deaths in this third game, he knew that the next one would surely be a bloodbath, too.

Still, he would keep voting circles. He had no choice.

When it was time to vote, he couldn’t help but send a guilty glance toward his señorita, who was standing on the other side of the dividing line between the two groups.

She reassured him by gently shaking her head with a small smile.

She wasn’t angry with him. She knew he’d be there to protect her, and vice versa.

As Player 001 pressed the cross button, the guard in the triangular mask announced the end of voting.

For the first time, the vote ended in a tie, leaving him confused. Now what? What’s next?

“Wait, it’s a tie. What happens now?” One of the players asked.

“Clause 3 of the consent form. In the case of a tie, players will vote again.”

Another adds. “So when are we going to vote again?”

“To give you some time to think, the vote will be conducted tomorrow. Until then, please think carefully about your future.”

Of course they acted like they were doing them a favor.

Thanos didn’t have time to think about this equality, as the lights came back on, announcing the start of the meal.

~~~~~

Although she hardly spoke to anyone except Thanos, Se-mi, and Min-su, she was very observant.

Despite a failed attempt at dissimulation, she noticed that some players had had forks with their meal, which was strange, to say the least.

She quickly finished her dish to join Thanos and warn him. Maybe he’d had one, too. It would be better for him.

She waited until he was alone, then walked slowly over to his bed. She looked in all directions, making sure no one could hear their conversation.

When he raised his head, he smiled at her. She smiled back at him and climbed onto the bed, sitting next to him.

“What’s up, señorita?”

She leaned even closer to him, her breath caressing his chin. “Did you get a fork with your gimbap?”

“What?” Even though he normally spoke, his voice was rather loud. She put her index finger to his mouth. He raised his hands in surrender. She repeated her question, to which he replied in the negative, then added, almost boastfully. “I thought you were an intelligent woman?” She raised an eyebrow, not understanding. “You don’t eat pre-cut gimbap with a fork.”

She nudged his cheek with her hand, making him laugh. “I know that! That’s my point.” Her eyes turned serious and frightened.

Surprised by the change, Thanos wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Beauty?”

She whispered, her voice trembling. “A few people had forks.”

He frowned. “What for?”

She raised her misty eyes to him. “They probably want us to kill each other, so there won’t be another tie.”

She was afraid. She’d seen how greed could make people violent. So, if they had something to kill, they’d do it without hesitation.

Thanos wiped away a tear that rolled down her cheek. “Hey, I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“It’s not for me that I’m afraid... It’s for you.” Because of his fiery temper, he had more enemies than friends.

Thanos widened his eyes, surprised that such a sweet woman was worried about him.

He stroked her cheek and tried to lighten the mood. “Fuck! Why didn’t they give me one?”

With his exaggerated pronunciation and mimicry, she couldn’t help but laugh.

He tapped her nose, smiling. “I prefer that. I won’t let go of you all night, I promise. But first, I’ve got to take a piss.”

She held him back by the sleeve, shaking her head. “Don’t go.”

“Hey, princess, nothing’s gonna happen to me. I’m going in, I’m relieving myself, and I’m coming right out, okay?”

“Don’t you wash your hands?” She wrinkled her nose in disgust.

He burst out laughing, not expecting this twist. “Okay, okay. I go in, open one of the doors, pull down my pants and boxers, pee, pull up my clothes, flush, get out, wash my hands, dry them off, and leave. Is that OK with you?”

“That’s better.”

He patted her still wrinkled nose. “I’m hurrying.”

“You better be!”

She may have been sweet, but her tone left no place for joking. She was almost threatening. He was sure that, if he didn’t speed, she’d kick his ass.

With a wink, he left her still sitting on his bed, to go to the bathroom.

~~~~~

As he was out of the cabin, Thanos came face to face with MG COIN.

“What do you want, you traitor?”

“Funny, you don’t have the same speech with your girlfriend.”

His nostrils flared. “Don’t talk about her!”

Myung-Gi stepped closer to him, as if seeking him out intentionally. “How selfish are you to force your girlfriend to keep playing?”

Thanos gently pushed him back. “You can talk, fucker! Two days ago, you were one of us. Whereas, your girlfriend wanted to leave since the beginning.”

“Unlike you, I know when to stop before it’s too late.”

Thanos let out a humorless laugh. “Don’t speak too soon.” He took a few steps toward him and dug his index finger into his forehead. “Next game, I’ll take care of player 222.”

Myung-Gi’s confident expression disintegrated. “Stay away from her, you bastard!”

Thanos smiled. He’d hit a nerve. He leaned over and whispered in his ear. “It all depends on you.”

“Asshole!” Player 333 swung his fist at Thanos, who dodged it.

Thanos retaliated by punching him in the cheek. Unfortunately, this little altercation alerted the other players in the bathroom.

A general brawl broke out between the two clans, round and cross.

Thanos grabbed Myung-Gi’s jacket and slammed him against the tiled wall, then grabbed him by the neck. He turned him over, causing his back to crash painfully against the floor.

Thanos raised his fist in the air, ready to strike. “Do you think she’ll forgive you if you kill me?”

Myung-Gi was surprised by the force of the first punch. After the third, Thanos screamed. “I told you not to talk about her, you son of a bitch!”

One punch followed another, without him being able to hold back. This motherfucker had crossed the line, so far that he had no remorse about ending his life. He clutched his throat so tightly that his face turned red.

But Thanos regained his senses when a player collapsed next to him, a fork stuck under his chin.

“Shit!”

He thought back to his conversation with her beauty, and her concern for him. He’d made her a promise, he couldn’t break it. Not with her.

He was willing to stop his bullshit on the outside for her. But for that, they had to survive... together.

Thanos reluctantly released Myung-Gi. “It’s your lucky day.”

He got to his feet and, without paying any attention to the others, he headed for the exit, carefully avoiding getting into the middle of the shit he’d caused.

On his way out, he noticed that the guards hadn’t moved a muscle. Their orders were not to intervene. His señorita was right, this had been their goal all along.

Returning to the dormitory, he saw her, still in his bed, waiting patiently for him. Her eyes were fixed on the door. When she saw him, her smile reached her ears.

He rushed over to her and slid into bed, next to her. She immediately took him in her arms, and said. “Thank you.”

For the first time in a long time, Thanos felt he’d make the right decision.

~~~~~

To everyone’s incomprehension, the announcement bell rang throughout the dormitory.

“The following players have been eliminated. Players 268, 299, 331, 401 and 404. End of list.”

She raised her head and looked at Thanos, who shook his head, almost apologetic. “You were right.”

She straightened and frowned. “Thanos?”

Thanos raised his hands in the air. “I swear I didn’t kill anyone.” He added, mumbling. “Even if the fight was a bit of my fault.”

She heard him and shook her head with a grunt. She didn’t have time to yell at him, though, because her attention was diverted by the bills falling into the huge floating piggy bank.

Suddenly, one of the green doors opened, followed by the other.

“Listen, Team O! We... We... When we were in the bathroom, those fucking X bastards tried to kill all of us!”

She let out a soul-splitting sigh. “Damn it! He’s not dead.”

Thanos looked at her, dazed, then smiled, proud of her. “Oh, so that’s your real face?”

She pushed her shoulder against his. “No! But... I admit, if you’d stuck it in with a fork, I wouldn’t have minded.”

He passed an arm around her shoulders. “Look who’s hiding her game.”

“I told you from the start that I watch crime shows. You’re the one not listening.”

He played with one of her strands hairs, wrapping it around his finger. “Are you sure you didn’t get a fork?”

She looked up, laughing. “No. I promise.” He nodded slowly, his lower lip hanging down.

The two clans, back from the bathroom, passed the buck to see who had started it.

“So, who’s telling the truth?”

“50/50.”

Player 100, unperturbed by the mess, asked. “Which side lost more people?” They all looked at each other dumbly. “All right, everyone! Let’s count the numbers!”

“Sorry señorita, we’ve still got to split up.”

Unable to hold it in, she let out a sigh. She put both hands over her mouth, embarrassed.

Thanos burst out laughing. “You miss me already?”

“In your dreams.”

She stood up and joined her side of the room.

After a count, which she found interminable, because they’d gone over it again and again, the result was three dead for the rounds versus two for the crosses.

She knew she shouldn’t be happy about these losses, but... If no one changed their vote, that meant the crosses would win, and so they could finally get out of here... Alive.

Her guilt evaporated when she heard the rest of her team thinking the same thing. Even if what had just happened was horrible, feeling bad wouldn’t bring back the dead. They must have been selfish, thinking only of their own survival.

“Attention, please. Lights out in 30 minutes. All players, please return to your beds and prepare for bedtime.”

As she waited quietly in bed, she overheard the conversation of a small group of people. It was player 456’s group. The one who had already participated in this horror.

She didn’t like gossip, but since the situation, she opened her ears wide so as not to miss anything.

“When the lights go out, the other team will attack us.”

“Really?”

“By killing us, they’d win the vote and the prize pot would increase.”

She put her hand over her mouth to stifle the sob that escaped. Then she decided to manifest herself. “Excuse me?” Everyone looked up at her, surprised by this presence they hadn’t noticed. She was used to it. “Has this happened before? The first time you played these games?”

Player 456 sighed. His eyes were off and his smile, apologetic. “Yes.”

She thanked him for his honest answer and lay back in bed, her fingers scraping the skin around her nails. She trembled with fear, but not just for herself.

She and Thanos had no forks. They’d have no way to defend themselves. The only way to escape would be to hide. But where?

Suddenly, she sat up. She glanced to the other side and saw that, as always, Thanos was in his own little world. Did he know? If so, did he care? Would he participate?

She made her way over to him under the glare of the other rounders. She nodded in his direction. “Follow me.”

It took Thanos a few seconds to react, but he followed her unquestionably. After all, she was smart, she knew what she was doing.

He may have looked stupid and over the moon, but he knew exactly what would happen tonight. Leaving her alone was out of the question. If she hadn’t come to him, he’d have found her in bed as soon as the lights went out.

With long strides, Thanos joined her in front of the corridor door, guarded by a masked man with a triangle.

“Excuse me, I’ve got a sudden urge before I go to sleep.” She used her softest voice.

The guard shook his head.

Thanos rested his arm against the wall beside the door. “Come on, it’s not like we can control our bladder.”

“Impossible. It’s not time anymore.”

She heaved a deep sigh, and wrung her hands in front of her. “Listen.” She leaned a little toward him and whispered. “I’m a... I’m a virgin.” Even with his mask on, she felt the guard’s eyes on her. But especially Thanos’s two black eyes. “If I’ll die here, I’d really like...” She swallowed. “You see?”

The man in pink swallowed hard as Thanos stifled a laugh. He coughed into his hand. “Fuck!”

“Please. Put yourself in my shoes. We’re not going to do anything wrong, just, you know, have fun.” She crossed her hands in front of her and blinked, hopping on the spot. “Please?” She batted her eyelashes.

After a few seconds of thought, he moved aside to let them pass.

They made their way to the women’s bathroom, watched over by another guard, who looked surprised to see them.

Just before closing the door, she added. “Oh, and if anyone wants to come in, could you knock three times, just to let us know? Just long enough for us to hide, or get dressed.” She gave him a wave of her hand. “Thanks!”

She closed the door, leaned against it and exhaled sharply.

“I can’t believe it worked.”

“Me neither.”

They went to sit against the far wall.

“You’re a damn good liar.” He held out his fist for her to punch. But she blushed and looked away, embarrassed. “Fuck! You weren’t lying!”

This time, her face turned crimson. She slapped him on the arm. “Don’t be an asshole!”

He raised his hands in surrender. “But it’s true that it’s a shame.”

“Shut up.” She buried her head between her knees, hiding her burning face. She let out a growl, telling him to change the subject. But what did she expect? Thanos could never leave her alone after that confession.

“I’m just saying I’m a super sexy guy, you’re a gorgeous woman and we’re alone in a bathroom, and...”

She lifted her head and nudged him, although deep down his compliment touched her, and stirred something in the pit of her stomach. “Oh my god! Really?”

He shrugged. “If the guard can’t hear us, he’s going to wonder.”

She grumbled. “He doesn’t have to listen.”

“Come on, Señorita.” He didn’t want to push her, but, damn it, he wanted to so bad.

“Even if I liked you, which I don’t.” (Lie) Thanos pouted adorably. “I wouldn’t do that in a filthy bathroom with a guy I met three days ago, when we’re fighting for our lives.” She added, mumbling. “Plus, we don’t have any condoms.”

Thanos, having heard her, snorted. “So, we’re just going to sit on the crapper floor, waiting until tomorrow for the new vote?”

She looked up at him, her eyes catching the blue outline of his lenses. “Exactly.”

She saw him roll his eyes and throw something invisible on the floor. As if he were disappointed. How could he be? He was Thanos. He must have had countless conquests, and she... she was plain, unlike Player 196.

“You’re no fun.”

“Not funny?” She turned her entire body toward him. “See, that’s why I don’t want to. For you, sex is just fun.”

“Of course it is. Otherwise, what would be the point?” She couldn’t help smiling. He really did have an answer for everything, even if it was moody sometimes. “It means you like me.”

Her eyes widened. “What? No. No!” She didn’t know if she was trying to convince him or herself. “I never said that!”

“You said, ‘That’s why I don’t want to.’”

His smug smile made her sigh. “I... Is this the moment you decide to use your brain?”

“You like me.”

“No! Argh, you’re infuriating!” She rose to move further away from him, but he held her by the arm and pulled her closer.

Thanos looked into her eyes and said in a deep voice. “I can show you that I can be very serious about this.”

She swallowed, unable to tear her eyes from his. He was incredibly handsome, but...

“We can’t.”

“No? Why?” His voice was much softer.

“Because...” She didn’t have an answer.

Her heart was pounding, she could feel her body boiling inside even though he hadn’t even touched her. She wanted him. Fuck! She wanted him so bad. Him and his stupid purple hair, his colorfully painted nails and his stupid rap!

Tomorrow, they might get out of this hellhole, but they might also die.

She looked at him again, and saw that, contrary to what many people might think, he wouldn’t do anything without her consent. Indeed, he made no move to approach her.

He was waiting for her to make the first move. And she did.

She leaned over, put her hand on his shoulder and kissed him.

Thanos tried to be gentle so as not to frighten her, but he wanted her so much, he couldn’t help grabbing her hips to bring her closer to him and deepen the kiss.

Hearing her let out a surprised little moan, he smiled against her mouth.

When they parted to catch their breath, they looked at each other for a few seconds silently.

She wasn’t sure whether it was his bluish lenses, or his colored pastilles, but his eyes were so dilated that they were entirely black, like a cat. She could see herself in them, and saw that hers were in the same state.

Not wanting to think about the fact that this would be her first time, she let herself go completely. She trusted him.

She climbed onto his lap, straddling him, clutched his green jacket for courage and plunged to his lips for a second kiss.

This time, Thanos didn’t hold back. He pushed his tongue into her mouth for a fiery kiss. He ran his hands under her jacket and T-shirt, then dug his varnished fingers into her sides. He didn’t care if it left a mark on her, and judging by the little moan she let out, she didn’t seem to care either.

He brought one of his hands up, and clasped it in her hair, pulling it gently. She moved slightly away from him and leaned her head back to give him better access to her neck.

Thanos didn’t hesitate, attacking her neck almost ferociously, devouring her like a thirsty vampire.

She closed her eyes in pleasure and caressed his chest through his jacket. But that wasn’t enough, she wanted to feel him, so she unzipped his jacket.

Thanos pulled away from her neck, and with a toothy grin, he rolled it over his shoulders and tossed it against the white tiles. “Impatient?” She’d be lying if she said no, so she merely nodded. “Yeah, it’s Thanos effect.”

She rolled her eyes. “Don’t ruin this.”

Thanos dipped his lips once more. In turn, he removed her jacket, which she tossed aside to join his. Then he detached himself from her to remove his own T-shirt.

Seeing all his hidden tattoos, she licked her lips. Shyly, she mapped out each line, memorizing them with her index finger. She lingered the one running from his middle finger, to behind his ear.

Feeling a little braver, she leaned forward, and followed the path her finger had previously drawn, with her lips.

As she delicately kissed each ink stain, Thanos watched her, hypnotized. Every time she placed a kiss on his skin, his muscles twitched and his hair stood on end.

He wasn’t used to such gentleness during sex, even during preliminaries. He’d always thought it would bore him. And yet, he’d never been as excited as he was now.

Letting himself go, he closed his eyes and sighed, the back of his head banging gently against the wall.

She straightened up and moved away from him. “Sorry.”

Thanos opened his eyes again, surprised by the change. “What?”

She stammered. “You can... You can tell me if... I suck.” She bit her lower lip.

Thanos shook his head gently. He pushed the collar of her T-shirt to the side and placed open-mouthed kisses, on her shoulder. “You’re all...” He bit her skin. “...Except suck.” He took one of her hands in his, and placed it on his clothed crotch. “See?” She blushed and looked away, at the feel of his swollen member, but he forced her to look at him. “Look at the fucking effect you’re having on me.”

He was already hard, even though she’d barely touched him. She had fucking power over him, and she didn’t even know it.

“Did I do that?”

Thanos sneered. “Who else do you want it to be? Unless there’s a ghost in the shitter.” She laughed at his joke. “Yes, it’s you, and you alone.” He sucked her lower lip between his teeth and bit down, then released her. “You’re driving me fucking crazy!”

His words hit her like an electric shock. She had to stop questioning people’s words. If he told her she was beautiful and sexy, and that she drove him crazy, she just had to believe him. It wasn’t simple, but for her, right now, it was.

Much more confident, she took off her T-shirt. Thanos looked at her longingly and, without prompting, caressed her exposed skin with his hands and mouth. He sucked and licked the flesh, leaving marks in his path.

Thanos put his arms behind her back and unhooked her bra. He slipped the straps off her shoulders and let it fall between them. He bit his lip at the sight of her breast.

When he took one into his mouth, she gave a little squeal of surprise, but arched her back, pushing her breasts further into his face. She grabbed the back of his hair, and scratched his scalp with her short nails.

Thanos let out a grunt of satisfaction. He continued to worship her boobs, and caressed the other with his hand, rolling her nipple between his thumb and forefinger. Then he switched, giving the same attention to the second, until releasing it with an obscene pop.

He kissed her, then ran his hands down her back, gripping her ass. He played with the elastic of her jogging pants, running his fingertips underneath, to tease the edge of her panties. Then, without warning, he laid her on the tile floor and crawled between her legs.

In contact with the floor, she arched her back. “That’s cold.”

Thanos kissed her neck. “Yet...” He moved down to her sternum. “Your body...” Then, he traced the valley from her breasts to her navel with the tip of his tongue. “Is burning.” He finished with a final kiss just above the hem of her pants.

He grabbed the edge of the cloth and pulled it slowly down her legs until he tossed it behind him.

He saw her close her eyes, and clench her fists at her side. Thanos leaned over and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. “Look at me.” Although it wasn’t an order, she obeyed him. “You’re fucking perfect!”

He stepped back and straightened up. He grabbed one of her ankles and, as he had with the rest of her body, placed a gentle kiss on it. Then he moved up her soft skin, his lips leaving marks in the most sensitive places, his eyes never leaving hers.

When he kissed her inner thigh, her skin tingled under his touch. At the sight of her soaked panties, he smiled against her skin.

He moved up her body until he reached her lips once more. “Look at you, all wet for me already.” He slid his hand down to her damp panties.

She hiccupped, surprised by the sudden contact, but, as he began to slide his purple-painted middle finger up and down her wet slit, she let out a long moan. “Do you like it?” She nodded sharply. Thanos stopped teasing her. “I want to hear you.”

“Y... Yes. Please continue.”

Thanos teased her clit, adding more pressure with each movement, making her writhe beneath him. He nibbled her neck and could hear her panting and breathing hard.

He stopped caressing her, and knelt in front of him. He quickly removed her panties and licked his lips at the sight of her shiny folds.

He grabbed the back of her thighs, and bent down to lick her pussy. He saw her bite her lips, and clench her fists at her side, not knowing what to do with her hands. “Don’t forget, I want to hear you.”

He saw her hesitate, before she reopened her eyes and looked at him. At the sight of him, between her thighs, licking her folds, his eyes anchored in hers, she couldn’t hold back a moan of pleasure.

Satisfied, he began to devour her without inhibition. She grabbed his purple hair with one of her hands, and pushed his face against her, his nose pressing into her skin.

She let herself go completely, and held back no longer. Her moans filled the silent room.

“Su-Bong!” She begged.

Fuck! How could saying his real name, have such an effect on him? He was painfully hard, and horribly tight in his pants. But that would wait. For now, he wanted to make her cum a first time in his mouth.

As he continued to penetrate her with his tongue, Thanos stroked her clit with his thumb, making her hips twitch.

“Mm. Please.”

He raised his head. “Tell me what you want, princess.”

“I want...” He quickened his movements on her swollen bundle of nerves. “Ah! I want to come!”

He flashed her a toothy grin. “Yeah. That was the plan.”

Thanos stopped teasing her. He wanted to see her squirm with pleasure beneath him.

To prepare her, he slipped a finger inside her. She hissed at the intrusion and squirmed beneath him. “Relax, baby.”

He moved his finger, twisting it, to rub her walls. He felt her hand tighten in his hair, tugging at the strands.

He quickened his tongue movements, and quickly rubbed her sensitive clit with his palm. He inserted another finger and stretched it to caress her walls.

He felt her thighs shaking around his head, a sign that she was on the edge. He groaned against her folds, sending a shockwave through her body.

It was enough to make her come. She felt her whole body contract with a delight unknown pleasure. An electrifying heat ran through her innards. Her limbs trembled beyond her control. She felt her ecstasy grow again and again until it spilled into his mouth, with a scream of his name, her hands still clasped to him.

Thanos lapped up every last drop of her semen, before straightening up. His mouth and chin were covered with her juice. He licked his lips. “I knew you’d be delicious.”

He crawled on top of her again and kissed her fiercely, allowing her to taste herself on his tongue. She was surprised not to find it disgusting, but exciting.

As she kissed him, she fumbled with the hem of his tracksuit and tugged at it, but, given their position, she got nowhere.

“Su-Bong. Take it off.”

Thanos laughed against her mouth and stood up. He removed his pants, taking his boxers with him, and tossed them aside, along with the rest of their clothes.

At the sight of his big, red, leaky cock, she licked her lips and swallowed hard.

She straightened up, and knelt in front of him. Thanos looked at her, curious about her next move.

She raised her hand to touch him. She grasped him at the base, and slowly caressed him up and down.

Thanos inhaled through his nose. “Fuck!”

She let go. “I’m not sure what to do. Guide me, please.”

She wanted to kill him! She was so innocent, it was so exciting.

“You want to use your mouth?”

Her eyes widened, and her already rosy cheeks turned crimson. “Is that what you want?”

“I’d be a real idiot if I said no.” That earned him a laugh. “You don’t have to, sweetheart.” He couldn’t believe he was saying this.

“Hm... I want to.”

He took her chin between his fingers, and ran his thumb over her bottom lip, opening her mouth.

She leaned forward and, shyly, took his glans into her mouth. She advanced millimeter by millimeter to avoid choking.

Thanos stroked her cheek to reassure her. “Don’t use your teeth.”

When his cock finally touched the back of her throat, she held back a retch and pulled away quickly.

“Sorry. It’s... It’s big.”

“Yeah, thanks.” His smile was smug. “If you can’t take the whole thing, use your hand.”

“Okay.” She took him back into her mouth and began to suck him gently, all the while using her hand at the base, which followed the movement.

Thanos restrained himself from fucking her mouth. “Let your tongue caress my length.”

She nodded, and licked his vein. Thanos let his head bang against the wall behind him.

When she began to nod faster, taking him deeper, Thanos clutched her hair, and closed his eyes. He enjoyed the feel of her lips around him.

“That’s it, yeah. Like that.” He tugged at her hair, making her moan around him. “Fuck! Yeah!”

Feeling motivated by his encouragement, she grabbed his hips to hold him down, using only her mouth. When his tip touched the back of her throat for the second time, she felt tears welling up in her eyes. But she didn’t stop. She breathed deeply, to calm her nausea, then accelerated her head movements.

“Fuck!” He wiped a tear from her cheek. She sucked in her cheeks, drawing a bestial growl from him. “Damn! Look how fast you’re learning.” She played with his balls. “You have no idea how much I want to fill your innocent little mouth with my sperm.”

His words were driving her crazy. She was sure she could have another orgasm, just from his praise. It was so hot. He was so sexy.

She dug her nails into his skin and moaned around him. She pulled back and swirled her tongue around his glans, before taking him deep again with each movement of her head.

Thanos felt his balls tighten. He gripped her hair tighter to hold her in place. Then, with a guttural scream, he ejaculated into her mouth.

Although she was surprised, she swallowed as much as she could, while the rest dripped down her chin. She couldn’t define the taste or texture. It was... weird, but not disgusting.

When his breathing returned to normal, Thanos opened his eyes. The sight in front of him made him hard again.

She was still on her knees in front of him. Her cheeks were red, her lips swollen and her hair tousled. His cum was dripping down her chin. She looked like a fucking sex goddess.

Thanos fetched some paper towels. He returned to her, lifted her face and wiped her chin. “Are you okay?”

She nodded. “Yes, yes.” She stood up.

“Good, because I’m not done with you yet.” He flipped her over, so she was up against the wall, trapping her between his arms. “Jump.”

She tilted her head to the side. “Huh?”

Thanos let out a laugh. He looped her arms behind his neck, then lifted one of her legs and wrapped it around his hip. “Jump.”

“Oh.” She clung tightly to him and jumped into his arms. She could feel his cock brush against her.

Thanos carried her, as if she weighed nothing, to the sinks. He laid her gently on one of the ceramic basins, her limbs still wrapped around him.

“It’s not comfortable.”

“Exigeante?”

She lowered her head. “Sorry.”

He shrugged. He didn’t care where or how. He just wanted to fuck her. “As you wish, princess.” Thanos pulled her down from the sink. “It’s going to be complicated having comfort here.” He took her in his arms and kissed her. “But we’ll adapt.”

“Yes, we’ll adapt.”

He slid to the floor, against the wall, taking her with him. She found herself straddling his thighs. They were so close that his penis was wedged between their stomachs.

As he kissed her fiercely, he spread his semen over the tip of his glans. Then, he rubbed his cock along her slit, mixing their two fluids.

“Do you still want to?”

“Yes!” She almost screamed. She didn’t want any turning back. She wanted him, and only him, now.

“Good. You’ll have to ride me, beauty.”

She nodded and clung to his shoulders, using them as leverage. Then she slowly lowered herself down his length, inch by inch.

When she sat completely on top of him, his dick buried deep inside her, she hissed in pain.

Thanos stroked her hair. “It’s okay. Take your time.”

He felt so good in her warmth. He felt as if she were made for him, as if their two molds had been made together, to fit perfectly.

Her head buried in his neck, she took deep breaths to try and concentrate on something other than the pain. Then, she began to move gently up and down.

“You’re so tight.” Thanos didn’t want to hurt her, but she was moving too slowly for his liking. So he used his feet to meet her hips halfway, hitting her, faster, harder and deeper.

“Su-Bong!” She screamed. She bit her lower lip so hard that it bled.

“Go ahead, baby. Take my rhythm.”

As the pain faded, she accelerated her pelvic movements, bouncing on his cock again and again. “Ah! Ah!” The pain was completely eclipsed by intense pleasure. She couldn’t hold back her moans, much to Thanos’s delight.

“Yeah, that’s good. Don’t hold back.”

She moaned louder and louder, sending electric waves directly into his balls.

“I want them to know how good I make you feel.”

He kissed her breast and devoured her mouth. She dug her nails into his skin, leaving little red crescents in her wake.

“You take me so well, princess.” He bit her shoulder and neck, leaving hickey that would be visible for days.

“I’m going to... I’m going to cum.” She was so overwhelmed that tears ran down her cheeks.

Thanos kissed them away, tasting the salt on his tongue. “Come for me, sweetheart. Come on my dick.”

She didn’t need anything more. Her orgasm hit her for the second time that night. She came with a wrenching scream. She collapsed on top of him, her body trembling in his strong arms.

Feeling her clench around him, pouring her delicious brew over his penis, Thanos came in turn with a bestial growl, his semen filling her. He let his body and head leaned against the wall, his arms still wrapped around her.

They remained in this position for several minutes, in silence. Their sweaty bodies moved up and down to the rhythm of their heavy breathing, while the beating of their hearts echoed in their ears.

Feeling that her body was no longer jelly, she gently straightened up. Thanos pushed back the strands of hair stuck to her forehead and kissed her.

“That was... incredible!”

“Did you doubt it?” He pouted slightly, offended that she’d doubted his sexual abilities.

“No! But...” He raised an eyebrow. “It had nothing to do with you, but with me.”

“Hm.” He stroked her now, cold back. “You were... Fucking perfect!”

She flashed him a beaming smile. “Really?”

“Yeah.” She kissed him tenderly. “Your pussy was made for my dick, baby.”

Her cheeks turned red again. “Su-Bong!” She slapped him on the chest and hid her face in the hollow of his shoulder.

“What? Oh, you’re embarrassed despite what we just did?”

“Yes.” She mumbled.

He chuckled and gently shook his head. She was adorable. Fucking sexy and adorable! The perfect combo.

Thanos placed little kisses on her shoulder, then lifted her head and kissed her as tenderly as she’d done before.

“I don’t want to ruin the moment, but we need to get back.”

She let out a soul-splitting sigh. “Okay.”

“If it were up to me, we’d stay here forever, but those bastards in pink are going to come after us by the scruff of the neck if we don’t get out of here.”

“Hm, too bad.” She kissed him one last time before rising to her feet.

She was almost ashamed to feel an emptiness, as she withdrew from him.

Thanos rose to his feet. He got some toilet paper, moistened it, and handed it to her to clean up.

She took the wet toilet paper, gathered up her clothes, and ran to hide in one of the box to clean herself up and get dressed.

Thanos laughed out loud at her newfound modesty. He cleaned himself up, then put his clothes back on.

Just before opening the door leading to the corridor, Thanos asked her. “Are you ready?”

She shrugged. “I don’t really have a choice.”

He placed a kiss on her hair and put an arm around her waist.

When they emerged from the bathroom, they were surprised to see no guards. Neither in front of the toilet doors nor those of the corridor leading to the dormitory.

They moved cautiously along the multicolored walls. The closer they got, the more agitation they heard coming from the dormitory.

Thanos tried to look through the porthole to see anything, but the angle of vision was too restricted. He gently opened the door.

They took a few steps into the room, but stopped dead in their tracks.

“Holy shit!”

She buried her face in his jacket, unable to face the scene.

It was carnage. There were dozens of players, lying lifeless on the floor. And those who remained were covered in the blood of their victims. It was monstrous. How could they have reached such a rage? To the point of slaughtering each other with sharp objects.

They watched in fear as the guards in pink uniforms picked up the bodies and placed them in black cardboard coffins.

When the guards had finished cleaning up, they returned to their posts as if nothing had happened.

She clung to Thanos as if for dear life. She couldn’t stay there any longer. Not with these monsters.

“50.” She said in a tiny voice.

Thanos turned his head. “Hm?”

“There’s only fifty of us left.” She’d counted the “survivors”, if she could call them that. “What are we going to do? We can’t wait until tomorrow for another vote. Do they still have their forks? We’re going to...”

Thanos took her face in his hands and wiped away her tears. “Hey. Hey. It’s okay.” She sniffed. He took her in his arms and stroked her back, comforting her. “It’s gonna be all right. I won’t let anything happen to you, okay?”

She nodded and clutched his shirt with her fists. They were so tight between the fibers of the fabric that her knuckles were white.

“Can I sleep with you tonight?”

“You don’t even have to ask.”

They headed for her bed. She felt safer sleeping on the side of the crosses.

They lay on the bed, their limbs entangled. Her head rested on his rib cage. She hoped the gentle beat of his heart would help her fall asleep, but it was hopeless. She couldn’t sleep a wink all night. She was too afraid someone would attack them while they slept.

“Su-Bong?”

“Hm?”

“Nothing. I just wanted to know if you were asleep.”

“I can’t.” He heaved a deep sigh.

“Neither can I.” She snuggled even closer to him, burying her nose in his chest.

Thanos played with a lock of her hair, wrapping it around his finger. “Try it. I’ll protect you, I promise.”

She lifted her head to look at him and, despite the darkness, she saw his worried eyes. “I know you will. But you, who’ll protect you?”

He felt like taking her back to the bathroom and fucking her from behind, against one of those fucking sinks, his eyes anchored in hers through the mirror.

“What did I tell you about being too nice, huh?” He tapped her nose, which wrinkled adorably.

“Hm, but it’s you. I can be with you.”

Precisely, it was with someone like him that she shouldn’t be. He shook his head gently to chase away his thoughts. She was an adult, responsible for her choices. If she wanted to see the best of him, he’d be a fool not to let her.

“Sleep.” He wasn’t going to fight her over this, that would be ridiculous.

She mumbled in response and rested her head on him. She closed her eyes and let her mind wander to something happier. She let herself be encircled by his strong, protective arms, relaxing under his fingers that caressed her hair, and rocking to the tempo of his heartbeat. She sank slowly into a deep sleep.

~~~~~

She awoke suddenly at the sound of the trumpet, alerting Thanos, who straightened up, on the lookout for any sign of danger.

“What?”

“It’s nothing. Sorry, the music startled me.” She yawned until her jaw dropped, then stretched.

Thanos lay back down, taking her with him. He nestled his nose in the hollow of her neck, his arms wrapped around her.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Thanks to you, yes.” She lowered her head and kissed him. “And you?”

He mumbled against her shoulder. “Like a fucking newborn.” She shook her head with a smile and stroked his hair.

When the armed guards entered the dormitory, they jumped to their feet. They walked to the middle of the room, hand in hand.

She had counted correctly. There had indeed been fifty deaths. So there were now only fifty. However, she had no idea who remained in each group.

The total prize was 40.6 billion won, and about 812 million won per player.

She did a quick mental calculation and sighed with relief. Adding up their two amounts, they had a total of 1.62 billion won.

Not only would they be able to pay off their two debts of 1.24 billion won, but they’d have 384 million won left over to get back on their feet.

She hadn’t even thought for a second before deciding to give the rest of her money to Thanos. She didn’t need all those millions.

She didn’t have time to share this good news with Thanos. They were separated by this dividing line for the start of the vote. She hoped it would be the last.

~~~~~

Thanos’s eyes were fixed on the scores. It had never been so close. Every time someone voted one, the next player voted for the other.

The crosses were determined to leave, but the circles were enraged to stay.

When it was his turn to press one of the buzzers, he was less enthusiastic than the other times. Firstly, because he hadn’t taken one of his pills. So he was perfectly lucid.

Then there was what had happened in the bathroom with his player 240. And the fact that she’d almost died because of that other asshole Nam-Su.

He’d been through a lot, and his last period was the darkest. He knew he’d never be able to forgive himself if he voted to stay and she died. This time, nothing, and no one could stop him from jumping.

To be honest, he was getting tired. Both physically and mentally.

When he reached the blue and red mushrooms, he paused for a moment, then, he raised his hand above the cross button, but moved it to the round button instead.

The amount collected wasn’t enough to repay his debt. He was just under 500 million won short, so he could wipe the slate clean and start afresh.

All his thoughts jumbled together, creating a deafening hubbub in his head.

He slowly lowered his hand to press down. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, calming his mind.

He opened his eyes again. He had made his decision. Firmly, he hit the buzzer, which lit up, plunging the room into stunned silence.

Thanos proudly took the little red rectangle with the white cross and clipped it to his jacket.

For once, he had decided to listen to his heart.

~~~~~

She could hardly contain her tears when she saw the number of crosses increase by one.

He’d done it. Thanos had changed his vote.

She didn’t let him get to her. She ran to him, threw herself into his arms, and kissed his face.

“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

Thanos laughed and twirled her around. “You said you wanted to see me outside again, so...”

She nodded briskly and kissed him passionately, under the amused looks of the other crosses, but disgusted and inflamed glances of the rounds.

Thanos put her down again. They moved together, their hands entwined, to the red side of the line.

With invisible tension resting on their shoulders, they watched the result on the screen, which changed as the votes were cast.

Only three people remained, and the score was in favor of the crosses with 24 votes against 23 for the circles.

One of the players had a blue scratch card attached to his jacket, while the other two had a red one.

If no one changed their minds, they could walk out of here alive, and with a nice sum of money in their bank accounts.

The first of the three to start was one of their own. They watched him walk up to the buzzer and press the red button without hesitation.

“Yes!” She squeezed his hand tighter, and leaned even closer to him.

They had no hope for the second, since he was the 101 old player, who kept barking. Moreover, he was the one with the biggest debt, at over 10 billion won.

Unsurprisingly, the blue mushroom was activated.

Thanos leaned over and kissed the top of her head. “It’s all right. There’s still player 1.”

It was time for the last player, number one, to come forward and vote. Sure, he was on their side, but, in the first vote, he’d voted blue.

They weren’t sure of anything. Everything could happen. If he voted red, it would finally be over. However, if he voted blue, there would be another tie, pushing the deadline to the next day.

All the remaining players watched him slowly advanced. A lump lodged in the throat of the reds, while a glimmer of hope shone in the eyes of the blues.

He seemed to hesitate for a few moments before the horrible buzzer sounded.

They all looked up to see the final score.

Crosses : 26 ; Rounds : 24.

It was over. They could finally escape this nightmare.

She turned to Thanos to celebrate with a kiss, but white smoke suddenly flooded the room.

Within seconds, she collapsed to the floor. The last thing she saw before sinking into unconsciousness was Thanos’s face, right next to hers, looking down at her. He was smiling at her, but she could see the fear in his eyes. Probably the same as hers.