The tension in the squad room was thick, but no one spoke at first.
Perth was still at his monitor, scrolling through encrypted government databases.
Joong leaned against the whiteboard, arms crossed, staring at the alias on the screen.
Santa sat at the edge of the desk, expression unreadable.
Dunk, for once, wasn't joking. He was wide awake, staring at me like he was trying to process what he'd just heard.
And Sky-
Sky's gaze hasn't left me since the moment my alias appeared on the screen.
I shifted uncomfortably.
Then, finally, Joong spoke. "...This is you?"
I exhaled, rubbing the back of my neck. "It was."
Perth's fingers hovered over the keyboard. "Your alias is still active. That means someone is using it. Either they're impersonating you... or you're not as 'off the grid' as you thought."
The thought sent an uncomfortable chill down my spine.
Sky's voice was calm but edged with something I couldn't quite place. "Explain."
I hesitated.
Because once I said this out loud, there was no going back.
But then I looked around the room.
At Sky's unwavering stare.
At Joong's quiet intensity.
At Perth's sharp focus.
At Santa's unreadable smirk.
At Dunk's absolute, dumbfounded confusion.
And I realized-this was it.
They had been fighting beside me. Protecting me.
It was time I gave them something in return.
I took a breath.
"I was an undercover agent for the Narcotics Division for twelve years."
---
Silence.
Then-
Dunk nearly choked on his own spit. "TWELVE YEARS?!"
Santa blinked. "...The hell?"
Joong frowned. "That math doesn't add up. You're, what-mid-twenties?"
I sighed. "Actually... I'm thirty."
Dead silence.
Santa narrowed his eyes. "You're joking."
Dunk's mouth actually fell open. "Wait, WAIT-so you're OLDER than Sky?"
Sky, for the first time, looked genuinely thrown off. "...What?"
I nodded, rubbing the back of my neck. "Yeah."
Joong actually stared. "...You're older than Sky."
Dunk clutched his head. "How? You LOOK like a kitten."
Santa snorted. "Damn. Sky's been bossing around someone older than him this whole time."
Sky, still processing, looked at me like I'd just told him I was a lizard person. "...You're thirty."
I shrugged. "Technically, thirty-one in a few months."
Santa wiped a fake tear. "Damn. And here we thought you were our cute little rookie."
Dunk muttered. "This is ruining my entire worldview."
Joong sighed, rubbing his temple. "Forget his age. Get back to the important part." He turned to me. "Twelve years undercover?"
I nodded. "I was placed in Thupa's network right out of the academy. I worked my way up until I became his second-in-command."
The room stilled.
Sky's eyes sharpened. "...You were Thupa's right hand?"
I met his gaze evenly. "Yes."
Perth exhaled. "That means you're the only person alive who has ever seen him."
Joong nodded slowly. "And that's why you're being hunted."
I didn't answer.
Because we all knew they were right.
---
Processing mode
Dunk, still stuck on the age thing, turned to Sky.
"Wait, wait. This means Nani has seniority over you."
Santa's eyes lit up. "Oh my god. That's right. He's TECHNICALLY your senior."
Joong smirked. "That means you should be calling him P'Nani."
Dunk gasped dramatically. "P'Nani! P'Nani! Oh my god, Sky, say it-"
Sky, expression unreadable, exhaled sharply. "I will throw you out a window."
Santa grinned. "You should say it at least once, Captain."
Dunk, giddy with power, put his hands together like he was praying. "Please, P'Nani, bestow your wisdom upon us."
I groaned. "Can we focus?"
Joong, chuckling under his breath, turned back to business mode. "So if you were Thupa's second-in-command... that means you were directly involved in everything. His finances, his operations, his contacts."
I nodded. "Yes. I built the trust over the years. I fed information back to my handler. We were close to dismantling his network when..."
I hesitated.
When I was betrayed.
When I lost everything.
Sky, watching me carefully, filled in the silence. "Three years ago."
I exhaled. "Yeah."
Perth, deep in thought, looked back at the screen. "If your alias is still active... then someone wants people to think you're still working."
Santa frowned. "Or they're using your old name to operate under the radar."
Joong crossed his arms. "Which means they either know you're alive... or they're trying to draw you out."
Dunk muttered, "I vote for the latter. Because if I were a vengeful drug lord, I'd absolutely try to bait my ex-right-hand-man into the open."
Santa smirked. "Damn, Dunk. You'd make a terrifying villain."
Sky ignored them. He was still watching me.
Thinking. Calculating.
Then, finally, he spoke.
"We need to track who's using your alias. Fast."
Perth nodded, already typing. "I'll cross-check recent movements and activity logs."
Joong grabbed a marker, adjusting the crime board. "If this connects to Thupa, we need to assume he knows you're alive."
Dunk shook his head, exhaling. "This just keeps getting worse."
Santa grinned. "At least now we know Nani's actually an ancient legend instead of a rookie."
I groaned. "I regret telling you all."
Dunk patted my shoulder, barely containing his laughter. "No, no. This is the best thing that's ever happened to me."
Sky sighed. "...shut up, Dunk."
But as the squad jumped into action, his eyes flickered back to me.
And I knew-this was just the beginning.
------
Perth's fingers flew over the keyboard, screens flickering with encrypted logs and movement patterns.
Joong stood beside him, arms crossed, analyzing the data.
Santa, feet propped up on the desk, casually chewed on a pen cap.
Dunk, still recovering from the "Nani is older than Sky" revelation, kept muttering, "Thirty. He's thirty. I still can't believe it."
Sky?
Sky hadn't taken his eyes off me since the moment I told them about my past.
And I felt it.
Like a weight pressing against my back.
Like he wasn't just watching me as his subordinate-but as something else.
I shook it off.
Focus.
"Anything?" Joong asked.
Perth exhaled. "Yeah. The alias was used recently for a coded financial transfer."
Santa leaned forward. "So it is Thupa."
I frowned. "No."
The room stilled.
Sky's gaze sharpened. "What do you mean, 'no'?"
I hesitated, then shook my head. "Thupa thinks I'm dead. If he were using my alias, it wouldn't be for small, coded transactions. He'd go big."
Dunk blinked. "Okay, so... if it's not Thupa, then who?"
I clenched my jaw. "Someone who knows I'm alive."
---
Santa exhaled, tapping the desk. "Okay. Let's break this down. If Thupa thinks you're dead, but someone else is using your alias-"
Joong's expression darkened. "Then they're trying to finish the job."
Silence.
A heavy, suffocating silence.
Then Dunk, ever the master of timing, slowly raised his hand.
"...So does this mean we should be more paranoid?"
Santa snorted. "Buddy, we are always paranoid."
Dunk pointed at me. "Yeah, but extra paranoid now."
Sky cut in, his voice lower than usual. "Nani."
I turned toward him.
He wasn't just watching me anymore.
He was studying me.
Like he was trying to solve a puzzle that didn't fit.
"You don't think it's Thupa."
It wasn't a question.
I exhaled. "No."
"But whoever it is-they know exactly who you are."
I hesitated. Then nodded. "...Yes."
Sky's jaw tightened.
Something flickered in his eyes-something that made my stomach twist.
Then, before I could read it, he turned to Perth. "Trace the financial transfer. Now."
Perth was already typing.
Joong rolled his shoulders. "If we're dealing with an unknown party, we need to change tactics. Fast."
Santa grinned. "Translation: More work, less sleep."
Dunk groaned. "I knew I should've gone into accounting."
Santa patted his shoulder. "Too late, little bro."
Sky ignored them, his focus locked on the screen.
But even as the squad jumped into action, I could feel it.
Sky's concern.
Not as a captain.
As something else.
Something I wasn't ready to name yet.
-----
The squad was deep in their work-Joong mapping connections, Perth cross-checking accounts, Santa and Dunk bickering as usual-when Sky's phone buzzed.
An unknown number.
He answered, voice steady. "Captain Sky Wongravee."
A moment of silence.
Then-a voice, distorted and calm. "You're looking in the wrong direction."
Sky's spine straightened. "Who is this?"
The line clicked off.
The room went still.
Joong looked up. "What was that?"
Sky's grip on the phone tightened. "Someone just told me we're looking in the wrong direction."
Santa arched a brow. "Creepy. Suspicious. I like it."
Dunk frowned. "Wait-so Thupa isn't behind this?"
Nani, silent until now, shifted slightly.
"I told you."
Sky's gaze snapped to him.
"Someone else is pulling the strings."
The squad exchanged glances.
Joong sighed, rubbing his temples. "This is getting worse by the second. We really are being watched"
Santa grinned. "Which means we're on the right track."
Sky exhaled, making a decision. "We need time to process this lead. Nani, we're going to your apartment."
Nani blinked. "What?"
Sky grabbed his jacket. "You need your things. And you're not staying in that house anymore."
Joong nodded. "Good. While you do that, we'll look down the next steps."
Santa smirked. "Try not to kill each other while you're out."
Dunk, still recovering from the chaos, waved weakly. "Bring snacks."
Sky rolled his eyes, already heading for the door. "Come on, Nani."
Nani hesitated for a second-then followed.
---
Nani's apartment
The moment they stepped inside, the quiet felt heavier than before.
Nani's apartment was bare-bones. Simple. Minimal.
A place for someone who never planned to stay long.
Sky took it in, frowning. "...You really lived like this?"
Nani shrugged, moving to pack. "I don't need much."
Sky watched as Nani moved with practice efficiency-bare essentials, nothing sentimental.
Then, Sky's eyes landed on something tucked away in a drawer.
A stack of old photos.
He pulled one out before he could stop himself.
It was a younger Nani-maybe twenty-standing beside an older man, their smiles small but genuine.
Nani noticed, and for a brief second, his expression softened.
"That was my handler."
Sky glanced at him. "The one who pulled you out?"
Nani hesitated-then nodded. "Yeah."
A beat of silence.
Then Sky placed the photo back where he found it.
He didn't ask more.
Didn't push.
Instead, he said, "You're staying at my place tonight."
Nani froze. "...What?"
Sky grabbed one of Nani's bags. "HQ isn't secure yet, and I don't trust any other location. My place is safer."
Nani hesitated. "I don't need-"
Sky gave him a look. "Just get in the car."
And somehow-Nani didn't argue.
---
A Moment of Rest
Sky's place was exactly what Nani expected.
Neat. Organized. Barely lived-in.
A home that was more of a strategic resting point than anything else.
Sky tossed Nani's bag onto the couch. "Bathroom's down the hall. I'll grab you a change of clothes."
Nani stood there for a second, feeling out of place.
He wasn't used to people making space for him.
Especially not Sky.
After a moment, he sighed and moved to sit.
Sky reappeared, tossing a hoodie and sweatpants onto the table. "You can crash in the guest room."
Nani smirked slightly. "Not gonna make me sleep on the floor?"
Sky gave him a dry look. "I don't hate you that much."
A small, amused silence.
Then, just as Sky turned away, Nani spoke.
"...Thank you."
Sky stilled for a second.
Then, without looking back, he muttered, "Get some rest."
And walked away.
Leaving Nani more unsettled than he should be.
-------
The apartment was silent, save for the soft hum of the city beyond the window.
Sky was sitting on the couch, flipping through his phone, checking updates from the squad.
Everything seemed calm.
Until he heard it.
A muffled, pained sound.
His head snapped toward the guest room.
Another sharp inhale-like someone drowning in air.
Sky was on his feet before he even realized he'd moved.
---
The Nightmare
Nani was tangled in the sheets, his breaths coming in ragged, shallow gasps.
His forehead was damp with sweat. His fingers twitched, gripping the blanket like a lifeline.
Sky didn't hesitate.
He sat on the edge of the bed, reaching out, voice low but steady. "Nani."
No response.
Instead, Nani's breathing grew more erratic, his face contorting like he was seeing something he couldn't escape.
Sky's chest tightened.
He placed a hand on Nani's shoulder-firm but careful. "Nani. Wake up."
A sharp gasp- then suddenly, Nani's eyes flew open.
For a second, he didn't see Sky.
He saw something else.
Somewhere else.
Then-reality slammed back in place.
His breathing was still uneven, but he registered where he was.
Who was in front of him.
Sky didn't pull away. Didn't speak.
Just let him catch up.
Finally, after a few deep inhales, Nani ran a hand down his face, exhaling shakily. "...Shit."
Sky, still watching him, tilted his head slightly. "That bad?"
Nani gave a weak, breathless laugh. "Worse."
Sky hesitated. Then-
"...Want to talk about it?"
A beat of silence.
Then-Nani shook his head. "...Not yet."
Sky nodded once. Didn't push.
Instead, he got up, walked to the kitchen, and returned a moment later.
With a glass of cold water.
Nani blinked as Sky handed it to him. "...You didn't have to."
Sky arched a brow. "Drink it or I'll pour it on you."
A small, tired smirk. "Charming."
But he took the water.
And as the tension in his chest slowly uncoiled, he realized something.
For the first time in a long time-waking up from a nightmare didn't feel like waking up alone.
---
The quiet didn't last.
Just as Sky moved to leave the room-
A soft beep.
A motion sensor.
Sky froze.
Nani noticed instantly. "What?"
Sky's voice dropped. "...Someone's outside."
Nani stiffened. "Could be the squad?"
Sky grabbed his gun. "Not unless they forgot to announce themselves."
He gestured for Nani to stay low.
Moving silently, Sky made his way toward the door, checking the security monitor.
One figure.
Standing right outside his apartment.
Not moving.
Not knocking.
Just waiting.
Watching.
Sky's grip tightened on the gun.
He glanced back at Nani. "Stay here."
Nani scowled. "Not a chance."
Before Sky could argue, a piece of paper slid under the door.
Then, just as silently as they came-
The figure vanished.
For a second, neither of them moved.
Then Sky carefully picked up the paper, unfolding it.
His jaw clenched.
Nani leaned in, reading over his shoulder.
Only four words were written.
"I KNOW YOU'RE ALIVE."
Silence.
Then Nani exhaled. "...Well. That's not ominous at all."
Sky, still staring at the note, muttered. "We're not staying here."
Nani smirked. "What? Scared?"
Sky shot him a look. "No. But if someone knows where we are, I'd rather not wait for a bullet to prove it."
Nani tilted his head. "Where are we going?"
Sky grabbed his keys. "HQ. And if that's compromised-"
His eyes flickered toward Nani.
"...Then I'll figure it out."
And for some reason, those last four words made Nani's chest feel too tight.