Chapter 27: Who you are, don't ever change!

"Sitting idly by when big, big trouble is peeking around the corner just— isn't who I am." Derek asserted as he threw his head up. "If that was to catch my attention to say what's on your mind, you have it. This better be good." Sun-Jin shouted with a frustrated tone and a grim one towards the end. "I could get in a ton of trouble with the last organization on earth that I'd want to draw the attention of but that story..." Derek thought to himself as he looked down. "If this is regarding the consequences of your home invasion of Gan Gang Ja's manor, we'll deal with her when the time comes and you'll remain next to Soo-Ae's side in the safe room." Sun-Jin asserted as he began to walk away from Derek's silence. "No. Gan Gang Ja is in possession of a very powerful item with the potential to destroy this island!" Derek shouted as he stopped thinking about himself. Derek's reveal turned the eyes of all of his family.

"You've— clearly got the floor, dude. Express." Jang replied from the back. Derek froze and thought again. "Since you're all already part of this, it'd be stupid not to try to get your help, any other circumstances, I'd… but I get it Grandpa." Derek continued as he gave some semblance of a smile toward Ye-Jin. "No more secrets, no more lies after this, no more excuses, I'll make it up to everyone. The childhood best friend of a man— who was like the big brother I've always wished I had— approached me a while ago and asked for my help with apprehending Gan Gang Ja. He knows that I'm Mistdeemer, I was shaped by my parents. Motivated by the greatest siblings in the world. That old pirate, Bar owner, you know her as an annoying thief but an important and hidden organization, that he's employed by, who works to hold the order of the world together knows of her as something far, far worse. I didn't want to get mixed in with this dangerous organization, I tried to keep you all out of it. I was first trying to solve Mrs.Ji's problem but one— unexpected clue led to a new unexpected event and now there's no way that I can refuse to help him. I won't judge if you decline." Derek informed his family as he felt a sudden aching in his right shoulder he endured.

The family looked at each other, unsure what to respond with or how to reply to what he just shared with them. "Don't refuse me coming to help then, I've been having an itch to dunk that nuisance in a dumpster, one hilariously outside of her own bar." Duri replied first with a thrilled face and a confident voice. "Called her a hottie once— I'm in this too, you have no say in this, let's do this." Jang responded secondly with a mumble before he shouted as Derek noticed this was the first time his voice wasn't relaxed. Duri turned his flustered gaze towards his brother as he showed a glowering expression. Derek's smile grew bigger hearing his cousins demanding to join him in saving the island. Everybody turned to face Sun-Jin.

"I lay awake at night with my family's tomorrow in my mind and how I can make their days better. That's who I am, but you made me recall some of my father's stories and helped me realize that our roots are from warriors, maybe, we aren't the perfect heroes but we'll stick with you. My worries will take time to go away though." Sun-Jin responded with a concerned tone and contemplative expression as he began making an ashen swirl in his hand. Sun-Jin nodded as he approved after thinking about his decision once again before he nodded in approval.

"So, then where exactly do we start, double dare?" Jang asked as he twirled his steel arrow. Derek's mind traveled back to a friend from childhood before he pulled himself away from that far into the past. "My guess would be the agent that he mentioned?" Chae replied as she shook her head at him. "Yeah. Of— course." Jang mumbled as he looked away. "The problem with plan A is that Agent Order, his code name, is recovering from his own close deadly encounter with Gan Gang Ja and her crew somewhere in a safe house in the city that I have only a slither of hope of finding on my own, at least without my laptop." Derek replied as he held his left shoulder. "Are you saying that with that slither then you can just— absolutely guess his hideout eventually?" Duri asked with an awestruck tone. "Getting distracted with the implications again." Jang said with a whispery tone leaving Duri with a rattled sneer. "Getting distracted by that shiny thing over there again." Duri struck back that his brother, Jang, deep.

"Not the time to bicker like two kids, Derek— an alternative plan?" Sun-Jin shouted before he turned his sight toward Derek. "Uhh—Um, um, um…" Derek noised with a lowered volume as he was stumpt. He heard the whistle of a bird that led him outside, as all of his maternal family followed while rushing alongside him, all of the family members aside from Soo-Ae who had returned to her basement, had no idea but in this time of confusion. Derek was unsure but he somewhat remembers hearing Agent Order give him a heads up that he'll send his next step through a swift messenger bird as all agents in his peacekeeping organization are instructed, the Traveler's hearing kept deafening as they were speaking.

The bird he was met with on their fence as he quickly noticed was a beautiful and well-groomed white bird with gray on its body and red eyes. "Graceful, lil birdie." Derek said under his voice as he held out his arm wanting it to land on it with all he had. The bird matched his enotoskuran defensive form. The bird flew down and dropped a note next to the Agent's ally and its reciever, Derek smiled as he couldn't pull his eyes away from watching the bird soaring the sky. Sun-Jin wanted the note, while Derek and Jang were distracted by the messenger kite, he took it from his nephew and read what was written. "This is going to be an exhausting walk." Said Sun-Jin with his eyebrows raised high, his lips slightly stretched back to his ears.

Ye-Jun and his third son turned their heads. Jang and his younger siblings jumped from their uninvited and bold visitors, startled, into a boxing stance, activating an Ashen practice by mistake. Two brolic men bursting through the gates of their manor, which nobody from the city was capable of achieving, unexpected. The sound that Derek had realized he was hearing forced a horrific gasp out of him that made him drop to his knees.