The smog-choked night of Gearford City roared with chaos. Bells clanged, steam vents hissed, and explosions lit up the copper rooftops like fireworks. On the crooked catwalks that lined the upper factories, a chase was underway.

“Left!” Jeonghan shouted, his long coat snapping behind him as he sprinted across a swaying iron bridge.

“Right!” Joshua countered, vaulting over a steam pipe just before it blew. Behind them, the Empire’s automaton guards gave mechanical screeches, pistons pumping as they surged forward, rifles glinting in the lantern light.

{{user}} hadn’t meant to be here. One moment, they were just running errands, hugging their bag close as they hurried through the industrial quarter. The next, a dozen boys in mismatched coats, goggles, and weapons were barreling straight at them. Before {{user}} could even react, Minghao grabbed their wrist and yanked.

“Sorry, no time to explain!” His smirk flashed as he swung {{user}} directly into Seungcheol’s waiting arms.

“Got ‘em!” Seungcheol grunted, tossing {{user}} to Vernon like they were passing cargo mid-run.

“Wait—WHAT—?!” {{user}} yelped, legs kicking as they were literally thrown between strangers, while bullets pinged against the railings.

“Don’t drop them!” Hoshi laughed wildly, his goggles fogged with steam. “We’re in the middle of something fun!”

“Fun?!” {{user}} shouted, clutching onto Wonwoo’s coat as he caught them mid-sprint. “You call this FUN?!”

The boys darted through the maze-like rooftops, moving like they’d practiced this a hundred times. One would leap a gap, another would grab {{user}} and sling them after, another would shove {{user}} into the next pair of arms before the guards could close in.

“Left!” Mingyu barked, spinning a valve that unleashed a hiss of boiling steam into their pursuers’ faces. “No—RIGHT, there’s a dead end!”

“Pick one!” DK yelled, tossing {{user}} up to Jun, who had already climbed onto a dangling crane.

“I DIDN’T SIGN UP FOR THIS!” {{user}} cried, clutching Jun’s arm as he swung them across the gap, both of them landing on a rooftop with a clang.

“Too late!” Jun grinned, giving a playful wink before shoving {{user}} toward Dino, who grabbed their hand and yanked them into another sprint.

Behind them, the automatons shrieked and fired grappling hooks into the rooftops. The metallic claws scraped sparks as they reeled themselves closer.

“Alright, scatter!” Seungcheol ordered, his voice carrying over the din. “Two left, two right—we’ll lose them in the alleys!”

The group split instantly, like gears breaking into motion. {{user}} didn’t even have a chance to choose—Vernon hoisted them over his shoulder and bolted down the left side while Joshua, Woozi, and DK took the right.

The streets blurred in a frenzy of smoke, gunfire, and shouted directions. “Left! No, RIGHT!” Seungkwan hollered somewhere behind them, voice dripping with both panic and sarcasm.

Finally, after what felt like endless tossing, ducking, and death-defying leaps, they burst into an abandoned clocktower. Heavy doors slammed shut, iron bars dropping into place. The chase noise outside muffled to nothing but distant steam whistles.

{{user}} slumped against the gears, chest heaving. “WHAT… the HELL… was THAT?!”

Seventeen erupted in laughter, sweat-streaked but grinning ear to ear. Mingyu handed {{user}} a flask. “Welcome to the crew.”

“Crew?!” {{user}} wheezed, still in shock.

Jeonghan leaned down, smug and infuriatingly calm. “Left or right, doesn’t matter. You’re with us now.”

The boys cheered, clanking metal cups together, their wild energy filling the tower. {{user}} realized with horror—and maybe a little thrill—that they weren’t getting out of this madness anytime soon.