Rainfall added an eerie sheen to the streets that was magnified by the flickering lights meant to give anyone out this late at night a sense of security.

But there was no security anymore. Not like how things used to be.

The Wolf Pack ruled everything. Crime was accepted now, as long as it wasn't directed toward the Pack or any of their associates.

The police didn't exist. They had been destroyed a long time ago, along with all organized military or any kind of government.

It was dark times now... And it didn't look like they were going to get better.

Murderers, drug dealers, rapists... They all ran free with no punishment.

Common folk lived in fear every day that they could be the next victim of some sick, twisted criminal, and they did everything they could to have some semblance of a life.

It wasn't easy, but most people managed to get by somehow.

As the rain fell harder, sending droplets flying in all directions and creating an endless ripple on the pavement, Mingi pulled his collar up to try and protect his neck.

The long trench coat he wore was thankfully waterproof, but it did very little to protect him from the cold. He brought his fingers to his lips and blew on them to try and warm them.

But the chill in his bones didn't matter. He would stand there all night and freeze if he had to. As long as he got to see him...

Nothing else mattered.

Mingi had spent years searching. Hours upon hours of research and investigating.

They had been horrible years too.

Growing up had been normal for him. He had a happy childhood with parents who loved him and taught them everything they knew.

But with the Wolf Pack ruling over everything, his parents ended up on the wrong side of a business deal which ended in their deaths.

They had tucked Mingi away in a closet where he was forced to listen to them beg for their lives and promise to do whatever the stranger wanted. But it didn't matter. They both died with a bullet in their heads.

As Mingi grew and learned to take care of himself on the streets, he started to have strange dreams.

One night, he dreamed of his parents dying a different way. His mother was raped first and then murdered before his father...

Another was learning how to pick locks and stealing things to give back to their original owners. There were several like this, all with different objects to retrieve and different houses that he broke into.

There was one that stuck with him for awhile, and it was when he was hit in the head with a shovel. He thought about that one over and over, it felt so wrong. Like had made a mistake.

When he was about eighteen, new dreams started coming to him.

He saw seven other men and learned that five of them were criminals, along with himself. They all had their own stories that came to him over time.

But there was one face that visited him more than normal. One that always had him waking up crying and feeling so empty inside.

The night that he learned the name of this mystery man, Mingi had cried in his shower after collapsing on the floor.

Visions of Hongjoong swam before his eyes. His smile, his sass, his kind heart. He remembered the way he cared for the other's in their group, but also how he cared for mankind and had wanted to bring peace back to their city and the world.

And also how hesitant he had been to accept that he had feelings for Mingi.

He also remembered all the nights they spend together. The first time Hongjoong gave himself to Mingi, how shy and scared he'd been. And it wasn't because he was scared of Mingi, but he was scared of letting himself be taken care of by another, and letting go of control.

It was under the cold water that he remembered pressing the button.

The button that changed everything.

Now he couldn't get the images of those final moments out of his head.

His family... His true family... The pain written on all of their faces during those final moments...

Yunho holding San.

Jongho protecting Yeosang.

Wooyoung crying over Seonghwa as blood pooled below them...

Hongjoong's heartbroken gaze as he nodded at Mingi to fix things.

They were all memories of his past life.

Before he was forced to press the button with Mercer.

Part of him couldn't believe that it took him so long to remember. It made it so much more painful when he realized it was why he had never been interested in trying to date anyone. Not that he had much of a chance while growing up on the streets.

Although there had been a few men at bars who had showed interest whenever Mingi had flashed a fake ID to find a way to take the edge off.

They never got the chance though. Mingi had never felt attracted to anyone. And once he remembered Hongjoong, he realized why that was.

Hongjoong was his one and only.

And he didn't remember who Mingi was...

Finding Hongjoong had become his first priority, although he had spent several days debating on if he should try to find Wooyoung first. The threats Mercer had been yelling at him, threatening to make him pay for everything... They terrified Mingi. He had even spent a few days checking some of the local whore houses in the city, but none of them had heard of a Jung Wooyoung, so he prayed that the boy was ok.

The other thing that haunted him was Seonghwa. He had no idea how this time travel stuff worked... And Seonghwa had very visibly died in front of them. Mingi had watched his hand drop to the floor after whispering to Wooyoung. There was no way he would be able to survive the gunshot he had taken on behalf of the younger...

Was he still alive now? Did the time travel fix that too?

Mingi had no idea. But he knew that Seonghwa would most likely be fully under his father's control, so he would be the last member he would even attempt to recruit.

He just prayed that everyone was ok and safe...

The hours ticked by and Mingi stayed rooted to the spot. Thankfully the rain stopped about thirty minutes ago, but he was still shivering.

He tried to not think about the possibility of Hongjoong not being here. Every ounce of research he had done led Mingi to this store. He had spent several hours cursing over the fact that he was not very good with computers and that turned into wishing he had Yeosang with him, but eventually he had found this small store.

It was well after midnight when the front door opened.

Mingi straightened up and stop shivering instantly. The only thing he could feel was his heart pounding in his chest.

A few people poked their heads out and surveyed the street before they stepped out and went their separate ways.

Making sure to stay in the shadows, Mingi got a close as he dared. His eyes flicked from face to face, looking for the one he had been longing to see for years.

Another group emerged and also split as soon as they left the building.

Mingi started to question what was happening. They were definitely acting like they were doing something illegal. And in this new world, illegal meant going against the Pack.

He instantly feared for Hongjoong's safety and almost ran forward to break the door down just to make sure he was ok.

But the door opened one more time and a figure turned around to lock it. He tugged at the door a couple of times and peered inside, presumably checking for some internal security system as well.

When he turned around, Mingi had to support himself on the wall of the building next to him.

There he was.

His Hongjoong.

Only not fully.

This Hongjoong had a harder look to his face and had faded pink hair. He still styled in in a similar way, angled back over his head and cut short. He didn't have the scar over his eye either.

Mingi was sad for a moment, already missing the adorable habit Hongjoong had of rubbing it when he was thinking or nervous.

But no... This wasn't his Hongjoong. This was a Hongjoong shaped by the current events. Mingi had no way of knowing what new events had transpired in Hongjoong's life. He started to wonder if the older's dad was still alive or if he was still as pure of heart deep down under his hard exterior.

Mingi knew that every fiber of his being longed to run forward and sweep Hongjoong into his arms.

He watched the older walk down the street with his arms shoved in his jacket pockets.

Hongjoong carried himself in a way that was very intimidating. Only the most serious criminals would probably think about messing with him. It even made Mingi pause and think about whether or not it would be a good idea to try and approach him.

That wasn't his plan for right now.

He knew that he couldn't just barge in and expect Hongjoong to believe everything he had to say. If Mercer's theory was correct, he and Mingi were the only two who would ever remember the other world they had lived in.

Every single other person had their life reset and was forced into whatever path Mercer had created.

There was no telling what mistake he had talked about fixing, but it must have been a big one for him to have been able to take over everything.

Mingi was going to have his work cut out for him if he was going to try and get the team back together.

But that was exactly what he wanted to do. There was no questioning it.

Mercer had to be brought down.

And even if they couldn't go back to the way things were, Mingi knew they had the ability to at least try to take down the Pack and set things right in this world. 

Mingi left his place in the shadows to keep an eye on Hongjoong. He made sure to stay on the opposite side of the street to try and not raise too much suspicion, but now that he found the older, he had no intention of leaving.

He wanted to learn about Hongjoong's schedule to try and find out the best time to try and approach him. He also needed to learn about what his love had been doing in this life so he could be prepared for any surprises that might come his way.

The biggest hurdle he needed to figure out was how to convince Hongjoong that his crazy story was the truth. He had one thing he may be able to use, but depending on the events Hongjoong had been through in this life, it might not be valid anymore.

Either way, Mingi knew that he had a long road ahead of him.

Hongjoong turned onto a busy street, constantly looking around for any potential threats.

After several minutes, he stopped in front of an apartment building that was tucked in between two tall office buildings.

He let himself in with a key and vanished behind the tinted door.

That would be easy enough to pick if needed.

The nice thing about his returning memories was the fact that Mingi also remembered all of his old skills, so he was still probably the best thief around.

Mingi leaned against a closed flower shop behind him and waited to see if a light would turn on.

He sucked in a breath when the eighth floor lit up and Hongjoong appeared in the window of what Mingi assumed was his bedroom.

The older must not be as shy in this life because he pulled his shirt off in one smooth motion and rubbed the back of his head.

Mingi felt his heart beat faster, but grow heavy at the same time.

Hongjoong was still just as breath taking. Every curve and dip of his skin was exactly how Mingi remembered.

Tears came to his eyes as he watched Hongjoong walk around his apartment and start to drink what looked like a beer.

The man he loved was within his reach, and yet still so far away.

And Mingi was no closer to figuring out how to get him back.

But he vowed to never give up.

Somehow, some way, Mingi would be with Hongjoong again. They were meant to be together. That much he knew for certain.

He had to believe that the same thing held true for this world.

It was the only thing he had left to hold on to.

Without it... Without him...

Mingi was nothing.