écrivaine melanine

You clutched your bare chest. Your heart pounded violently against your ribs. There was an agonizing pain there. It was suddenly hard to breathe. 

No.

     Your body pushed itself to crawl across the floor until you reached your shirt and threw it over your head. Your ears rang with white noise. The feeling of nausea bubbled deep in your stomach. With wobbly legs, you pushed up and moved from the bedroom to the living room. The front door was wide open.

     You ran after them, shoes long forgotten as your bare feet hit the pavement. Outside didn’t match your feelings. It was too calm, parked cars showing a tranquility you were unfamiliar with. As you ran blindly, you zeroed in on a figure. Yoongi was standing in the middle of the street. His hands were grabbing at his hair.

      “Where’d he go?! Did you talk to him!?” you called.

       “He’s too fucking fast. I lost him. I didn’t even see which way he went. He’s not answering his phone either,” he began to pace, eyes closed, “Fuck!” 

    You just watched as Yoongi kicked at the gravel, cursing into the sky. The stars felt like they were closing in. 

    “What if,” your tongue was dry like sandpaper. Your breathing was shallow, “what if he tells the others? He’s gonna...he’s gonna tell them.”

     Yoongi just stood there, eyes still closed. Suddenly he broke out laughing, “So this is how it ends, huh?”

     “He could be at your apartment right now. Or his dorm. He could be hiding somewhere, we need to catch up and keep trying to find h-”

“Stupid. So fucking stupid. Out of all the times-”

     You grabbed his shoulder and spun him to face you, “Can you fucking pay attention?! Talk to me, we need to fix this!”

“How, ____? How do you propose we ‘fix’ this?”

“We can try to explain it to him. Maybe if he understood the situation…”

“Oh, I think he saw enough to understand just fine.”

“Can you just try to work with me here?! Stop being such a pessimistic asshole for once. Help me! Help us! I don’t know what to do!”

“And you think I do?” 

You tilted your head, feeling your blood begin to boil, “Yoongi, that incident on our last mission should have been the last close call. This should have never happened. Your drunk ass should've never came over in the first place. So yes, I want you to figure out what to do.”

“Oh yeah, of course. Blame it on me, “ he rolled his eyes, “Like you weren’t all over me before he came in. Right.”

“After the cuddling that you insisted on! What even was that?! ‘I wanna stay like this forever. I like us like this.’ That refresh your memory?”

“I was drunk and just saying shit! And if my memory serves me correctly, you were reciprocating my nonsense just fine!”

“Oh, what the hell are you even talking about?!”

“I like this more than I should”. What’s that supposed to mean? You’re not innocent in this, _____. You fucked up just as much as I did. So don’t you fucking dare.”

“Neither of us are innocent! The whole agreement proves that,” you said. “But you remember what our agreement was. There was no forever. You know that Yoongi, but you still pushed the boundaries! Can you just be upfront with me, please? What is going on with you?”

“I needed a body! I was drunk and vulnerable and I needed a body, alright? Is that a good enough excuse for you? That I was using you?”

“You needed a body,” you repeated, slow, digesting it as the words left your mouth.

“That hurt you or something. Why? Weren’t we both just using each other anyways? Weren’t you using my body too? Isn’t that all I was to you? Just a body?”

He raised an eyebrow trying to pull the answer from you.

“Cut the bullshit,” you snapped, “I know what I heard you say before he came in. You wouldn’t have said it if I was just a fuck to you.”

“Even by your own rules we were just fucking, _____! I told you I was just saying shit!  And say I wasn’t. Say I meant it, what would you have to say about it?”

There was no reply. A shrug was your answer. A shitty one at that, and you knew it.

He nodded slowly, taking a single step back.

“Huh. I think...I think this was all a mistake, actually.”

You replied in a small voice, “Yeah. Maybe it was.”

Yoongi looked you over one more time, a long gaze filled with unreadable intensity. He turned on his heels and walked down the road. He paused in his stride, fist clenching at his side, but kept on. He didn’t look back.

Without your permission, your legs folded over. You crouched down, elbows to your knees. The street lights shined down on you, a spotlight in the darkness. Shudders raked your body. Tears wouldn’t come, wouldn’t caress the sides of your face. It was sick really, how not even your tears would offer you comfort.

_____________

         Maybe he should have been more considerate in case Taehyung was asleep, but in the moment he couldn’t have cared less. Jungkook burst into the room, slamming the door behind him. Taehyung watched from his bed. He stopped scrolling on his phone to look his roommate over.

“Um...is everything okay?”

Jungkook’s chest rose and fell as he tried to catch his breath. He slid against the door and sat on the floor.

“Did you at least get the gun?” Taehyung asked.

Jungkook shook his head.

“Dang that sucks. Was she sleeping? Not home?”

It was as if the sight was burned into his memory. He couldn’t shake it no matter how hard he tried. Jungkook wanted to laugh, vomit, scream- anything to free himself from what couldn’t be explained. A wave of dizziness took over him. He was glad he was already on the floor.

He met Taehyung’s questioning gaze. He felt like he would explode at any moment. The burden was becoming too much for him to bear alone.  

______________________________

             Too many times. 

Too many times were you put into unwanted situations because of your job. The list was long. There was the time you had to crawl through a sewer in Paris. Or the time you were locked in a car during a heat wave in Lagos. Or the time you had to run from cannibals in Siberia, an incident completely unrelated to the mission. 

You didn’t think the boys’ apartment would join those places on the list.

You had never missed a mission assignment, but skipping it surely crossed your mind. Though you somehow still ended up walking through their front door. You passed Yoongi and he passed you, both without a word or sign of acknowledgement. Being in the same room lit a flame of deep resentment under you. You took your place on their sofa, arms crossed and lips tight as the others filed in. You would simply do what you needed to do and go back home, you promised yourself.

“Ugh, I can’t wait for summer,” Seokjin said from his side of the sofa.

“Preach. Being stuck here is getting kinda old. Like I get it, travel is limited because of school or whatever, but I could really use an international mission right now. That’s where all the fun is,” Hoseok said.

“It’s only fun when no one gets lost...which happens every time,” Namjoon sighed. “Or when Jungkook doesn’t offend the locals...which also happens every time.”

The boy in question had just walked in with Taehyung. When you had finally mustered up the courage to call his phone after the incident, he never picked up. You had even camped out in front of his door for an hour waiting for him to answer, but he never did.

 He sat down in the farthest possible corner of the room from you. You tried to search his face for any signs, but he wouldn't even look in your direction. You could tell he noticed your staring, but wouldn’t give in. 

That brat.

 You appraised Taehyung instead, but he just scrolled on his phone, absentminded. No, he couldn’t know, could he? You glanced at the rest of the boys. They looked at you normally. Spoke to you normally. Had Jungkook told them, but swore them to secrecy? You were all decent actors. 

 “You can’t even talk. How many times have you lost your passport, Mr. Leader?” Jimin asked. Namjoon just rolled his eyes, “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

“Anyways! Let’s go ahead and recap the last mission, we don’t have that much time before the new assignment.”

Seokjin pulled up the database on his laptop, “Alright, since only us three went this’ll be quick. _____ how many kills did you get?”

“Two.”

“Yoongi?”

“One.”

“Okay so describe the interaction with the first target.”

“The first man-” you were interrupted.

“He was in the kitchen-” Yoongi stopped.

You refused to look at him. You kept your focus on Seokjin.

“It was my kill, so I’ll describe it,” you said flatly.

“Oh yeah. Forgot you took that one.”

The snarkiness in his tone made your eye twitch.

“Like I said in the mission, I took it because I didn’t know you had claimed it.”

“Right.”

“Okay, ____, continue,” Jin urged, typing.

You took a breath, “We found him standing in the kitchen. I slit his throat with a KA-BAR 2211. One solid stroke.”

“Pretty sure you used a Fixation Bowie, but okay,” Yoongi muttered.

“I know what I used, thank you.”

“You sure?”

“Well, they look pretty much the same, right?” Seokjin cut in, chuckling, “Continue.”

“We found the basement and when I opened the door the second target fell down the stairs,” Yoongi spoke.

“He didn't just fall. You kicked him,” you added.

“Didn’t think that part was that important.”

“Lets not start omitting information to make ourselves look better.”

“I’m not worried about looking better. It just wasn’t important.”

“You obviously cut that part out for a reason. If we all started doing that, the data would be flawed. We all do terrible shit, don’t be shy now,” you motioned to Seokjin. “And I’m pretty sure Jin could use that for his notes, right?”

“Uh, yeah?” Seokjin replied. As he typed furiously, he looked up and made eye contact with Namjoon. The leader raised his eyebrows, a silent question. Seokjin shrugged.

Though you didn’t see it, you could sense a wordless conversation happening between Jimin, Taehyung, and Hoseok. The energy in the room was uncomfortable.

“After that, we realized the targets were preparing a victim for a sacrifice. I shot the second target with a Glock 22.”

“Okay, for the final target, Yoongi can you describe that encounter?”

“I stabbed him with an Ontario 6504 I think.”

Seokjin looked up from his screen, “You think?”

“That’s what I said.”

Though Seokjin watched the missions, he needed the reviews to be in the words of the assassin themself, “Well can you at least tell me how you killed him? Was it a slice? A stab? C’mon give me something. I need some precise data here, Yoongi.”

“I stabbed him.”

“Okay, how many times?”

“More than 30.”

The temperature in the room seemed to drop a few degrees. Jimin whistled.

“I’ll just put 31,” Seokjin mumbled.

“Was there a reason for that?” Namjoon asked, calm despite the obvious tension.

Yoongi looked down at the floor as if he would find an answer there. He pursed his lips, “Nope.”

“Alright, I think it’s time to address the elephant in the room,” Namjoon declared. Your stomach somersaulted. “Yoongi, you’ve obviously been upset for a few days now and we can’t ignore it anymore. Is everything okay with you?”

Yoongi scoffed, leaning back in his seat, “What is this? An intervention?”

“Look, you’ve been acting really pissy lately and it's starting to get old,” Jimin said plainly.

“Is it because we saw the nudes on your phone?” Hoseok asked, “She was hot! Sorry for making fun of you, we couldn’t help it!”

You stopped breathing all together.

          “Nudes?” Taehyung finally spoke. His eyebrows joined together in genuine curiosity. “Yoongi got nudes?!”

“Yeah, can you believe it?” Jimin snorted.

You burst out laughing. It was a violent, almost maniacal sound that caught even you off guard. You couldn’t help it from spilling between your lips. You were beside yourself, unhinged as realization smacked you across the face. Your head fell back as you roared. You were seeing red. The fury rolled off your body in waves.

“Right!” Hoseok laughed with you, “It was hilarious! Yoongi didn’t think it was funny, but we all had a good laugh. You should have been there. Or not. Maybe that would have been weird.” 

“What did she look like?” Taehyung asked. 

“We couldn’t see her face,” Jimin said, “It was the classic bathroom mirror selfie, but better. It was, like, slutty meets photography final project with renaissance undertones? I’m not shaming her or anything, whoever the girl was, she was a pro. I don’t know how Yoongi pulled her.”

 “He didn’t deserve it if I’m being honest,” Hoseok shook his head, “Joon, Jin, don’t you two look like that! Don’t act like you weren't into it.”

 Seokjin shrugged, “I mean, yeah, she was hot.”

“How the hell did I miss that?!” Taehyung groaned.

“You aren’t alone. _____ and Jungkook weren’t here either. Maybe if you had stayed for the game you would have been in on it,” Hoseok sang.

The wheels turned in Jungkook’s head. It wasn’t until he saw your near hysterical reaction that it all came together. His mouth flew open, staring straight at you.

“What?” Taehyung asked.

Jungkook slapped a hand over his mouth, “Nothing. Nothing,” he said through his fingers.

You had the strong urge to jump across the coffee table where Yoongi sat. His face was burning as he grit his teeth. Still, he wouldn’t even dare to look in your direction, face the questions and mistrust that your face showed, because that was exactly what he would see. And he knew it.

You worked on taking deep breaths to calm yourself and stop the laughter. But then you would be reminded of the fact that most of the boys in the room had seen your naked body and the chuckling would start all over again.

You looked to find that Jungkook was still staring. Suddenly the laughter stopped, leaving only a blinding fury in its wake.

  Maybe if you pretended you had to go to the bathroom, you could sneak in a few punches when you walked past before anyone could stop you-

             “Well that derailed quickly,” Namjoon sighed as he checked his watch, “Damn, okay let's get started, we don’t have time.”

You didn’t even move when the hour hit and Mr. Kim appeared on Seokjin’s screen. You could hear just fine. You needed to calm down before being seen.

“Good afternoon everyone. I hope you’re all in good spirits. I have some good news for you all today,” Mr. Kim said, fingers clasped on his desk, “We have more intel on Anti. We found their headquarters.”

Your wrath quickly faded.

“You did?!” Taehyung jumped.

“It took an extreme amount of research and outside intel, but yes, we finally got it. They are still an enigma in many ways, but having a sure location is the best breakthrough we’ve had yet.”

A photo of a boarded up building took over the screen. It wasn’t much to look at, and that was surely the point.

“Look at that shithole,” Jimin whispered, “They couldn’t do better than that?” 

“They’ve made a home out of an abandoned hotel located 17 miles from your residences. All of the windows are covered so the building appears unoccupied. This also makes it nearly impossible for us to know what’s inside exactly. There’s a lot of lingering questions, but thanks to the Research Team we can confirm that they have somewhere between 15 to 30 members, all of whom are already trained assassins. We think they were all rogue at some point but came together under Anti a few years ago.” 

“Well I’m glad to know there’s more information,” Namjoon sighed.

“And it's just enough to send you on your next mission to abolish the organization.”

“What?!” Namjoon blurted.

“Huh?” you said from your spot off camera.

“I mean, so soon?” Namjoon said.

“We realize that we cannot wait any longer to attack. Any more time spent being defensive puts you all at greater risk. So with that being said, the Council and I have made the decision to go ahead with the mission. You all will be present, since we need all hands on deck. The goal is to eliminate everyone in the building.”

“Sir,” Hoseok said, “do you expect us to complete this mission alone? Just the 8 of us?”

“I’m with Hoseok on this. I don’t think it's smart, with all do respect, sir,” Seokjin said, “I don’t think we’re prepared. And there’s so many unknown factors, we don’t know what we’re even getting into!”

Unlike any of the other missions, there was an endless amount of questions with Anti. No faces. No known skill sets. No set number of targets. Just a location. You had several dangerous jobs in the past, but never were you tasked with killing other assassins. 

You pushed your way into the frame, “Can’t we get help from another Squad? That would only be fair,” you were grasping on to anything at this point, “We’ll be extremely outnumbered otherwise, sir.”

“I understand your hesitance, I do. But this is a delicate situation that needs immediate attention. The nearest team is Squad 11 but they along with the other squads would either take too long to get to the location or already have prior obligations lined up for the coming weeks.”

“When can we expect to be sent out for the mission?” Namjoon asked.

“In three days,” Mr. Kim said. You had been given far less time to prepare than that, but that didn’t seem like nearly enough time. He sensed the Squad’s hesitance through the screen. “This assignment came after a long conversation with The Council and we all agree that you are more than capable. You’ve proven yourselves worthy of the task time and time again. It seems the only ones who don’t have faith are you all. Do you not think you’re qualified?”

There was a hush that fell over the room.

          “I think we’re all qualified, Grandfather, it's just...overwhelming,” Namjoon answered.

“I hear you. Take care of yourselves these next few days. Prepare as you must but don’t strain yourselves, you need to be at your best. Also it is a known order that each individual gets a pay raise only every 50 kills...but since we acknowledge the dangers here, for a little incentive we have agreed to increase everyone’s pay by half of your current salary once this mission is completed.”

“Half?!” Jimin jumped.

“H-half our salary?” Jungkook spluttered. 

Half. Getting that much from one mission was unheard of for any squad. Though there was a sinking in your stomach. There weren’t many options, if any at all.

“Shit,” Namjoon sighed to himself. 

“Like always I’ll be sending coordinates and necessary information after the call. But because there is a lot of unpredictability, I think it's best to leave the mission direction to you. There are no assigned roles this time. Assignments will be determined on your own depending on how you all see fit.”

Mr. Kim said his final words of encouragement and bid you farewell. Some began discussing plans as the information came in while others tried to calm their nerves.

Yoongi got up and tapped Jungkook on the shoulder. Hesitant, the youngest looked up. 

“Yeah?”

“Get up.”

When Jungkook took too long to move, Yoongi yanked his arm and shoved him towards the front door. 

“I’m going, I’m going! Christ, don’t push me.” Jungkook muttered when Yoongi pulled the door behind them.

Jungkook squirmed under Yoongi’s scrutiny. He just watched him with folded arms as the seconds ticked on. 

“So...what?” Jungkook asked. Yoongi’s face read “You know exactly what”. He was right. “Okay! I’m sorry? Look, I don’t even know what-”

“Did you say anything?”

“Wh-?”

Yoongi grabbed Jungkook by the collar, “Did you fucking tell anyone?!” It was a mere whisper. Though they were outside, he didn’t forget how good everyone’s hearing was inside the apartment.

“No!”

“I don’t think I believe you.”

“I swear!” he choked back a grunt when Yoongi pushed him against the wall.

“Not even Taehyung?”

“Hell no! I mean I was going to, but I didn’t! Can you blame me after what the hell I saw?! I’m still scarred, man!”

“Are you going to tell anyone?”

“Not unless you want me to?” Yoongi tightened his grip, “Okay! I won't, I promise, fuck!”

“How can I believe you, huh? Should I pull a Jimin if you break your word?”

Jungkook winced at the thought of losing any part of his manhood the way Haneul did, “You won’t even have to go that far. C’mon, Yoongi, you know me better than that! It was better me that saw than fucking Taehyung or Hoseok. The whole university would know by now!”

“Jungkook. No one can know what you walked in on.”

“Dude, I swore I wouldn’t tell anybody. Chill out-”

“Don’t fucking tell me to chill out, this could be the end of my whole career!”

“I know! That’s why I’m so confused. How could you of all people ignore the rules? And with….____? Her tits are still burned in my brain and they won’t fucking leave!”

“Well make it leave!”

“You don’t think I tried?! I’m not enjoying this like how you might think! How the hell did you two even start, anyways?!”

Yoongi loosened his grip, “I...I don’t know.”

“You couldn’t choose anyone else? She couldn’t choose anyone else? I don’t even get how that could work. You’re both just so...you.”

“I fucked up, Jungkook. I really fucked up,” Yoongi sighed. He stepped back.

“So are you two, like, together?” Yoongi flashed his eyes and Jungkook flinched, “You know what, nevermind. The tension during the mission review said enough. If you were, you aren’t anymore.”

“It wasn’t like that.”

“So you were just...fucking?” he winced when he said the last word.

“You sure are asking a lot of questions.”

“Wow it's almost like I walked in on my friends about to smash or something, weird.”

“Just don’t say anything.”

___________________

Inside, you had gotten up to get a drink from the kitchen. Your rage had eased a bit, now replaced with nerves. You glanced towards the door where Yoongi and Jungkook had disappeared. You wanted to go outside and hear the conversation. It was your story too. But you knew it would be even more suspicious if you joined them. Could he handle it alone? It crossed your mind as a painful realization. 

Years of trust you had placed in Yoongi had begun to disintegrate in only a matter of hours.

“Hey.”

Namjoon took a spot beside you, leaning against the counter.

“S’up?” you took a sip.

“Do you have a minute?” he nodded towards the hallway.

“Yeah, sure thing.” 

You followed him into his bedroom and he closed the door.

 You sat down on his bed and fidgeted with your fingers. 

There was a level of formality and secrecy that made you uneasy. 

“Uh, so what did you want to talk about?” you asked.

“You, really,” he rubbed the back of his neck, “Are you okay? I didn’t want to ask in front of the others because I got the feeling that you wouldn’t really appreciate that.”

“I’m great. Perfect. Why do you ask?”

“_____.” he deadpanned.

“What?”

“You’re lying.”

You spluttered for a reply but fell short. He made up for the silence.

“It’s just...you’ve been really distant lately. We didn’t really see you at all last week, and I get it, maybe you just need a break. But you’re angry. Specifically at Yoongi.”

Namjoon wasn’t one to hold back for anyone. He would call out bullshit from miles away, and he had you in his sights. Damn him.

“I mean...yeah. Yeah, I’m angry at him.”

“Was it something that happened at the last mission? I know we tried to talk about it but it didn’t really go as planned. I can imagine that what you both saw had an impact on you. Especially with Yoongi...losing focus like he did with the last target.”

“Kind of,” you couldn’t even look at him, focusing on the carpet instead, “We just got into a fight. We’re not really on the best terms right now. That’s it. So you don’t need to worry about it. It won’t mess up the mission or anything.”

“I’m not worried about the mission right now, I’m worried about you,” Namjoon corrected, “I just wanna make sure you’re okay first. And if there’s anything I can do to help that, just let me know. I’m being serious.”

You looked up to where he stood in front of you. The sincerity was obvious, almost palpable. 

“Thanks for asking, Joon.”

He gave a small smile, “It's my job...as a friend.”

There was a knock on the door.

“Come in!” Namjoon called.

Seokjin peeked inside, “Oh, ____’s in here, perfect. Sorry to interrupt, but I got some good news.”

“Whats up?” Namjoon asked.

“The Academy was able to access the files from the drones and analysis will begin soon.”

       Namjoon relaxed, “Great. At least we got some good news today.”

You blinked at the oldest man, “What does that mean?”

“You know how we thought we lost all the footage from the last mission, right? Well I forgot that The Academy has a real time feed from the drones whenever I use them.”

“I’m...I’m not understanding,” you said. Though in reality you did. You just didn’t want to.

“Well it just so happens that The Academy also records the live feed that the drone takes too just in case my files get wiped. It’s always just a backup and they never actually check it because the notes I send is always enough. But since the whole thing with the police happened, they’re for sure checking it now so they don’t have to rely on just my notes and witness accounts. It's a headache really, but now it’s in The Academy’s hands.”

Bile suddenly rose in your throat. It took everything not to release it onto Namjoon’s fresh comforter. You buried your nails in your palm to stabilize yourself. You had lost track of how many times regret had taken hold of you and forced you to look at yourself. How many times dread pulled you at every corner and faced you with the inevitable. How many times fear hung you off the edge of reality and threatened to leave you there.

 The two men’s voices began to fade into the void of your own thoughts.

You were stranded there.

“_______!” you registered the voice as Namjoon’s. You realized that he had been calling you when you saw the concern on their faces. You didn’t know when you decided to stand, but you slowly made your way to the door with shaky legs.

“You look sick, maybe you should-”

“I…I gotta go,” you replied, closing his bedroom door and slamming it behind you.

______________________

      Nothing worked. 

No matter how many times you tried to sleep it off, the weight of dread carried into your dreams. School didn’t help, as every assignment just seemed so pointless. Even a pre-mission sparring session with Hoseok and Taehyung didn’t quell the torture of what you knew to be the inevitable. The two marked it off as nerves--assured you the mission would go fine, Anti would be defeated with no problem.

 If only they knew. 

So when D-Day rolled around, there was a numbness there. 

Everyone met at the boys’ apartment. The sun had set, and there was an unusual hush as everyone prepared; just quick questions as weapons were compared and packed away, then back to a rigid concentration. The squad was dressed in all black, even down to the boots and gloves. 

Namjoon rolled his shoulders back, “Let’s roll out.”

The group sat the cases on the asphalt when everyone reached the parking lot. You carried two at a time to the trunk, the weight of the guns normal now. Your squad offered help, but you waved them inside the vehicle and assured you had it on your own. When you bent down to grab the last case, Yoongi’s fingers went to take it from you. You jerked your hand back and went to put it along with the rest. You heard his footsteps follow you. 

The others had already taken their seats inside the van by then, and you wished he had joined them instead of lingering to “help”.

Before you could lift the final case inside the trunk he took it from you and placed it inside himself. Another wave of rage built up inside you, and you nearly slammed his fingers as you closed the trunk behind you. He grabbed your arm and you wrenched yourself free.

“Hold up-” he whispered.

“I don’t wanna fucking do this right now, okay?”

“I just want to let you know I talked to Jungkook, that's all.”

“Oh, did you show him my nudes too?” you seethed.

His face softened, “Look, it's not what you think! They stole my phone and saw it!”

“How the hell could they see it if you deleted it?!”

“I mean, I did delete it, but,” he sighed, pushing the words out, “I saved it to my Cloud before I did.”

Your jaw clenched, “So you didn’t really delete it? You saved them to your personal spank bank even though I told you to delete it? Just so that wouldn’t happen?”

“They were just so good I….I’m sorry,” he breathed.

“I took those for you,” the pain in your voice was clear, even more so on your face as you searched his eyes, “not them. They were for you for that one moment.”

“I know. I’m so sorry, ____,  it was an accid-”

“None of it’s gonna matter anyways. Jin told me The Academy has access to the drone footage now. Save your excuses for them.”

“What? Wait!”

You brushed past him and took your spot inside the van. Even when Yoongi eventually followed behind and took his own seat, you continued to stare out the window. 

The drive, like in the apartment, was tense. The silence was smothering, doing nothing to calm the unease that everyone felt. You were in your own head, hoping your years of combat served you that night.

An alarm on Seokjin’s screen beeped, warning him that you all were nearing the limits of a surveillance device at the Anti headquarters. With a few quick clicks, Seokjin made his devices go off the grid, untraceable once you all were within reach. 

“We’re about a quarter mile away,” he announced.

Namjoon turned to see the stern faces of Squad 16 from the passenger seat, “Okay. There’s a lot of moving parts at play in this mission, we just have to be smart about how to use them. You all saw The Academy’s memo about the helicopter, yeah?”

Everyone nodded.

“They really pulled out all the stops, huh?” Jimin sighed, leg bouncing anxiously. He was rarely nervous.

“We don’t have to use it, but since this is such a high risk mission they recommend it as a get-away opposed to the van. They said this building has an accessible roof, so we just have to get to it. Seokjin, you’re in charge of dispatching it when the time comes.”

“Roger that,” the driver said.

“Now, I know there’s a lot of uncertainty here. This mission will take a lot of stealth more than anything. Because that's your specialty, I think you should take the lead on mission direction.”

The group turned to the person Namjoon had addressed. 

Hoseok stared back with wide eyes, “Me?!”

“We’re here to support of course, but you’re the best to evaluate what needs to be done.”

“I mean...okay, if you say so,” Hoseok muttered.

“We all believe and trust your judgement. You’ve got this, you always have.”

Hoseok nodded.

The terrain suddenly changed. The flat road turned to rocky gravel as the mass of brick and wood came into view. Seokjin pulled into the shadows. From where you were, you could see the entire building and all of its boarded up windows. 

“You took care of the cameras?” Namjoon asked Seokjin.

“Of course,” he replied, quickly typing in codes as the screen flashed through several windows. “Their security is tight, but I managed to break through. I have their surveillance room looking at a pre-recorded tape of all areas now, so they can’t see us. I don’t know how long I’ll be able to keep it up before they notice, so we have to move fast.”

There was a sudden flash of light. You all sunk down as another SUV drove up to the building. It parked about 100 meters away from the van near a side door. Four figures stepped out of the car.

“Do you think they’re a part of Anti?” Taehyung asked.

“I guess, who else would be out here except us and them?” Jimin replied, “We should take them out too right--?”

“Got it,” Jungkook interrupted. He rolled down his window the slightest bit. He took the sniper rifle that had been resting on his lap, and pointed it towards them. After finding them in the scope, he pulled the trigger without reservation. Four bullets flew silently, drilling through the skulls as the unsuspecting victims sank to the ground. He could see a man in the driver’s seat looking around frantically as he reached for a gun. Jungkook pulled the trigger and nabbed him right between the eyes, “Bingo.”

“Go!” Namjoon urged. Everyone exited the van, grabbed their weapons, and made a dash towards the other car in the dark of night. 

Splayed out on the concrete, you noticed that the four limp bodies were dressed the same: black and red bodysuits with a matching mask that covered everything except their eyes. The bullet hole in them was so small, it was barely noticeable. Yoongi snatched the masks from their heads, uncovering their faces. They were unfamiliar. Three men and one woman. 

Jimin flipped one of the bodies over with his foot. Printed on the back of the bodysuit was a number. He flipped over the rest and found the same, but different digits.

“That must be some sort of identifier,” Namjoon said, “Since they cover their faces, it must be the only way to tell each other apart on the inside.”

“I think I’ve got a plan,” Hoseok said, bending down to assess the corpses, “We need to disguise as them. We’ll have to take their clothes and go inside.”

Jimin gave an incredulous look, “You think that’ll work?”

“Well we can’t just bust up in there and start shooting now can we? We have to start somewhere.”

“He’s got a point,” you said, “We have no idea what we’re up against in there. The least we can do is look the part to make it easier.”

A breeze blew over the group, as did a silence as you realized there were only 4 disguises.

“So who’s going inside?” Yoongi asked.

Hoseok rubbed his neck, “Keeping consistent body type and skill set in mind...I think me, Namjoon, Jungkook, and ________ should go. We have a wide enough range of skills to cover the bases.”

You couldn’t help but tense up.

Hoseok looked over at Namjoon for approval. He seemed to be deep in thought, mulling over the suggestion. 

“Okay. Taehyung, Jimin, Yoongi, you’ll be on perimeter security duty. Don’t let anyone out of the building or in. Kill on sight if they try. Jin will have surveillance covered.”

There was a thick, pensive silence as everyone listened, but there was no objection. Namjoon put his hand in the middle of the circle. The rest of the squad followed, slower than usual. 

“Make it clean, make it quick.” you all echoed as you did every mission. 

With a habitual quickness, you all broke apart. Seokjin dropped the dead driver next to the other bodies on the floor and took off the man’s clothes. Taehyung, Jimin, and Yoongi dragged the stripped Anti assassins to a patch of high grass. You, Namjoon, Hoseok, Jungkook, and Seokjin discarded your own clothes as you replaced them with the bodysuit. The cool night air was harsh on your exposed skin. None of the boys even dared to even look in your direction, as the five of you were down to your underwear. You rushed to cover yourself, and a voice in the back of your head gave a sharp reminder that a sports bra and panties was modest compared to what had already been seen.

The bodysuit was fitting, perfect even. The spandex against your skin felt criminal. Putting the mask over your head felt like a seal of fate. The bright red number 8 on your back was the nail in the coffin.

“Hey,” Jimin called when you were all done dressing, “Don’t be stupid. If it gets messy, leave.”

“Seriously. Don’t risk your lives for a pay raise,” Seokjin echoed, “Especially you Jungkook, don’t get cocky.”

“I’m not stupid,” he snapped.

“Just be safe,” Taehyung said, adjusting the strap of his sniper rifle, “If we all leave this mission alive, I think that's an accomplishment itself.”

“Can we just agree that if we feel like it's getting too risky, we just abort the mission?” you proposed.

That was a last case scenario that had never even been thought of before. There was never a time when you hadn’t succeeded. 

Namjoon sighed, “Okay. Fine. We’ll be in touch. Let’s go.”

You turned to walk with the three others when you caught Yoongi’s eyes. There was a lot in them, a warning, a suggestion, a plea of some sorts- though he didn’t say a thing and turned to go with his group.

The four of you moved to attach your weapons on your belts as you walked towards the side door. 

“Thanks for going along with my plan by the way...not that ____ had much of a choice being, you know, the only girl and all,” Hoseok said, shooting you a sorry expression.

You rolled your eyes, “You’re lucky I’m here to save your asses like always.”

“You’re not wrong.”

“It was a good plan, Hoseok. We trust you,” Namjoon assured.

Oddly enough the door was unlocked when you approached it. Guard up and shoulders back, you took a step inside. You were all greeted with a small room, black painted walls and bright crimson carpet. On the wall across from you was another door, the only other exit. 

“The cameras in this room can’t see us right?” Namjoon asked the earpiece.

“They can’t. The feed is still pre-recorded but like I said it won’t last long, and then I’ll be forced to put it back to normal or risk threatening the mission. I’d say you all might have a good 20 minutes before then. Their cyber security might even be as good as The Academy’s, I’m actually struggling over here to keep up.”

“Okay, we need to clear this building as fast as possible. We can’t stay too long,” Namjoon stated.

“We should split up then,” Hoseok suggested, “We’d cover more ground. 

“True. If we all stayed in the same place that would give them more time to catch on,” you said.

“I agree,” Jungkook nodded.

“Okay. There’s three floors to this building. I can take the first, ______ and Jungkook can take the second, and Hoseok can take the third,” the leader directed.

You went to open the other door, but found it to be locked. 

“Let me try,” Jungkook pushed past you to wretch it open, but it was stuck, “What the hell?”

“Wait,” Namjoon noticed a monitor on the side of the door. It read ‘Fingerprint Access Only’.

“Fingerprint? How are we gonna get through?!”

No one was stupid enough to try their own print on the screen. 

“Jin, we ran into a problem. The door can only be opened with fingerprint access, can you disable it?” you asked.

There was a pause on the other side.

“Fingerprints?”

“Yeah, that's what the screen says.”

“That isn’t even coming up in my system...I don’t see it anywhere,” he replied, panic in his tone. You could hear the clicking of keys in your ear, “What the hell?”

“You don’t see it?” Jungkook asked.

“No! I mean I can keep looking but who knows how long it’ll take? We’re already on a time crunch.”

“Shit,” Hoseok said, leaning against the wall and rubbing the mask on his face. You couldn’t see anything but his eyes but they mirrored your own dread.

“Can’t we just try and force it open?” Jungkook asked, “The four of us can make it work.”

“I guarantee it’s connected to the security system and will probably set off an alarm. That’s the last thing we need,” Namjoon sighed.

“The whole purpose of these outfits is to be inconspicuous. Breaking down the door without knowing what's on the other side completely defeats that,” you groaned.

“But time is running--!” Jungkook began. There was a beep as the door was suddenly pushed open. A tall figure stepped into the room. They wore the same bodysuit as the four of you, showing nothing but toned muscles through the tight fabric and hard eyes through the slit of the mask. 

Your squad froze, not uttering a word or breathing as they walked by. The figure gave a quick nod and continued to walk right through the side door.

Hoseok caught the door with his foot.

“We got the door open. By the way, someone just went outside through the side door,” you warned.

A light thud could be heard outside, a body hitting the floor.

“Got it,” Taehyung said.

The four of you slowly slid through the door, only to see that it led to a long hallway. The walls were equally black and the floors carpeted red. There was a sting of lights that hung from the ceiling as well as what looked like a 360 degree camera. It was empty and silent. Even listening hard, you didn’t hear a hum of voices.

“Okay. Keep in touch. Be smart,” Namjoon said in a low voice.

You, Jungkook, and Hoseok went the opposite direction of your leader to find the nearest staircase. 

Namjoon went down the narrow hall. The blackness was choking, as it felt like the walls were closing in on him, trapping him. The many rooms that lined the halls made sense, given that it used to be a hotel. He peeked into every one he passed, but came up empty. He had nearly made it to the end until he found two rooms, one directly across from the other. Namjoon looked into one, finding a room of a few sleeping figures and lines of desks. Their heads rested on them as light snoring could be heard.  He looked into the other room to find the same scene. This looked like break rooms of sorts, telling from the refrigerators and sofas in the corner. The windows in both rooms were covered by wooden planks, securely from the looks of it. 

Namjoon noticed a side door at the furthest point of the hallway and decided to investigate. It lead to what looked to be a garage. It was also empty, and his footsteps echoed across the floor. In a box on a counter, he noticed a rope. On the floor beside it, a canister of gasoline. He scrambled through a few boxes to find the last ingredient, and he relaxed when he found it: a pack of matches.

Something clicked for him at that moment.

“Hey,” he told the earpiece, “I know an even faster way to clear the building.”

“Please share,” Hoseok replied. 

“I’m going to start a fire on the first floor,” he waited for questions or objections, but there were none, “then I’ll make my way up. That way anyone on the floors above will be trapped and have to face us as the fire moves up. Either that, or try to leave the building but have to face the four of you outside.”

“So how are we going to get out?” you asked.

“We’ll just have to make it onto the roof and call the helicopter. Seokjin, be ready to dispatch them when the time comes.”

“Roger that,” Seokjin answered.

“Tae, Jimin, Yoongi, Seokjin, be on guard for anyone that tries to escape.”

There was an echo of agreement.

Namjoon grabbed everything and went back into the hallway

He slid into the first room, a ghost of his former self. At this point in his career, tiptoeing was childish. He had mastered the art of silent steps, shrinking the magnitude of his presence and aura to be undiscovered by the average person. He moved around the first room, still cautious of the few sleeping bodies as he poured the liquid around the desks. Just as quickly, he left the room and went across the hall. 

He did the same to the second break room, spreading the smelly substance around the room as he weaved between the figures. The carpet was stained, soaking with what was soon to be their demise. Namjoon heard a shift behind him, as one of the bodies began to stir. They pushed themself up, eyes showing confusion through the mask. Any normal person wouldn’t have awoken, but their senses were heightened too. They appraised Namjoon and the canister.

“Number 5...what the hell are you doing?” the masked man asked.

Namjoon ignored the question, walking calmly to stand in the doorway instead. By this time, the others in the room had begun to rise, and stretched as they tried to make sense of what stood before them. When Namjoon reached into his pocket and grabbed the match, there was a collective pause. Though that second was all it took for him to light it and flick it into the room, engulfing everything in flames. He slammed the door behind him, taking the rope and tying it around the doorknob on the outside.

He quickly walked back to the first room, where the sounds of screams across the hall had caused them to wake. 

“Why does it smell like gasoline?” one of the masked figures asked.

“What the fuck is going...on?” a woman’s voice began, stopping when she saw Namjoon’s silhouette.

“Number 5, woah, let’s-let’s think about this,” said another. 

When Namjoon lit the match, everyone rose to their feet.

 “Five don’t you dare!”

Namjoon dropped the match at his feet. The fire followed the dainty pattern of gasoline he had drawn across the room, trapping the figures inside. They went to run to the door, but Namjoon shut it. In one motion, he tied the other end of the rope to the doorknob, linking the two rooms together. Both handles jiggled violently, but as one pulled on one handle, it further shut the opposite door. It was a battle for freedom that neither could win. They were trapped.

Namjoon stood for a while to make sure the handles would hold, but reminded himself of the time crunch. He picked the canister back up and continued down the hall towards the staircase, leaving a trail of gasoline behind him. The screams carried as well.

             “The first floor is taken care of,” Namjoon announced, “I’m coming up soon.”

____________________

       The second floor was almost identical to the first-- a maze of crushing halls that went on forever in both directions.

Neither you nor Jungkook had spoken a word to each other since you split from the other two. There was a silent consensus that it was under the guise of focus on the mission. 

“I made it to the third floor,” whispered Hoseok through your earpieces.

“Anything to report?” you replied.

“Not yet. I’ll keep you all updated.”

“Now why the hell couldn’t I get my own floor?” Jungkook mumbled to himself.

It was probably a rhetorical question, but you found yourself replying in a hushed voice, “Probably because you’re unpredictable and need to be babysat. Lucky me.”

You both continued, passing several unoccupied rooms in your search.

Jungkook fiddled with his sleeve, a sign he had something on his mind.

“Hey, about the other day...” he began.

You pointed to your earpiece and shook your head.

Not right now.

He stopped and nodded.

        “Hey,” came Namjoon’s voice, “I know an even faster way to clear the building.”

“Please share,” said Hoseok.

“I’m going to start a fire on the first floor, then I’ll make my way up. That way anyone on the floors above will be trapped and have to face us as the fire moves up. Either that, or try to leave the building but have to face the four of you outside.”

“So how are we going to get out?” you asked.

“We’ll just have to make it onto the roof and call the helicopter. Seokjin, be ready to dispatch them when the time comes.”

The plan was risky- one that required perfect timing or else you’d be in more trouble than what you began with. But Namjoon was rarely wrong. No one had a reason to doubt him yet. It just meant you had to be quick.

Around the corner were two gendered bathroom doors.

“Wanna check?” Jungkook asked.

You nodded, “Be back in 2.”

Inside, one wall was completely covered by sinks and mirrors, the opposite lined with stalls. You heard the toilet flush, and out stepped a slim figure, much taller than you.

She looked at you through the mask, an acknowledgment. Her gloves were placed to the side, revealing hands riddled with scars as she ran them under the water. There was a big 13 printed on her back. You eyed the gun at her waist.

You stepped behind her, as if to brush past to get to the stall. But instead you grabbed the back of her head and slammed it against the mirror. The glass shattered, tinkling to the floor. Blood dripped down through the eye slit of the woman’s mask. Though dazed, she quickly reached for the weapon on her belt. She went to aim but you quickly knocked it from her hands, and it joined the glass pieces on the ground. You kneed her in the gut, and she doubled over for a second, but not before swiping your feet. You lost your balance, and in that second, she was able to knock you to the ground. With sheer strength alone, she held you down and climbed on top. She was far bigger, far stronger than you, and it didn’t take long to figure out. 

         She blinked furiously, blinded by the blood that trickled into her eyes. She felt for your throat, trying to wrap around it, but you landed a solid punch to her jaw.  She scratched and felt around, and you grabbed a long glass shard beside your head. You swung up and planted it deep in her neck. A few choked gurgles left her lips, and then she sunk to the bathroom floor beside you. There was no time to catch your breath. You drug her into the farthest stall and closed the door, walking past the glass and into the hall.

___________________

Next door, Jungkook was at a bit of a loss of what to do. In the men’s bathroom, there was only one person in the stall. He contemplated kicking down the door, but killing someone while they’re taking a shit just seemed extra fucked up, even by his standards.

Jungkook sighed and fixed the suppressor on his automatic rifle. Suddenly the door opened, and two more masked men stepped inside. 

“‘Sup Number 22?!” asked one man with the number 17 on his back. 

Jungkook recognized 22 as his own number. 

“Damn that’s a nice piece you got there. Need some help with that?” the other said in a tone that made Jungkook’s blood boil the slightest bit.

“You know he does. 22 can’t shoot for shit. Just stick with the tech, okay? Leave the artillery for the pros,” Number 17 winked.

Jungkook just watched as the two laughing men went into the stalls next to each other. There was a lingering feeling of annoyance, one that was soon joined by anger. It was a feeling he knew too well. 

These weirdos don’t even use names here? Jungkook thought.

He scoffed and positioned himself on the side of the line of stalls, past thoughts thrown out the window. He bent down, seeing three pairs of feet lined up. From the sound of their voices, he was able to gauge exactly where their heads were.

He pressed the end of the rifle to the plastic partition and fired a single shot. The one bullet shot through the stalls and hit the three heads. One second later, he heard the bodies hit the floor. He didn’t even need to check to make sure they were dead. Of course they were, he was Jeon Jungkook. Suddenly, he didn’t feel so bad anymore.

Turning on his heels, he stepped outside. You joined him at the same time.

Suddenly Namjoon’s voice rang through your ears, “The first floor is taken care of. I’m coming up soon.”

“Okay, we’ll wait for you by the stairs. We just cleared an area of the second floor. We might find more people if we keep looking. It's really quiet around here. It’s almost too easy.” you replied.

“Shit. Okay don’t panic,” Seokjin warned, “but I had to put the cameras back on the normal feed. So just be careful.”

You felt yourself tense up, as did Jungkook by your side. You casually turned to see the 360 degree camera hanging from the ceiling. It blinked red, and you gulped.

“C’mon, let’s go to the stairs,” you muttered.

_____________

Unlike the others, the third floor felt alive. Hoseok hadn’t run into anyone yet, but as soon as he made it up the stairs he heard the voices. He walked slowly, weighing his options as the red carpet scraped against the bottom of his shoes.

“Hey, I think most people are on the third floor,” he whispered as he walked. The camera blinked above his head, and he had to remind himself that the mask maintained his anonymity, “I might need some help soon.”

There was a sudden beeping from a speaker on the walls, and he froze in his spot. A staticky voice pierced through the hall, “Attention. Calling Numbers 5, 10, 13, and 17 to the third floor board room immediately.”

Third floor. Hoseok thought back to his path. Had he already passed the board room? What was his number again-?

“10!” called a sudden voice, “Number 10!”

Hoseok turned around. A stocky masked-man jogged towards him. Hoseok looked around the empty hall, placing his hand on his weapons belt.

“Hey! Where the hell have you been? You know what, nevermind, let’s just go. We’re already running behind schedule waiting on you and the other three.”

The man had a bold number 24 on his back. He placed a hand on Hoseok’s shoulder as he quickly guided him towards a set of double doors. He pushed them open to reveal a large table surrounded by Anti assassins. Everyone turned to the two of them, eyes showing everything from relief to exasperation. 

Everyone stood when the two of them entered the room. It was uncomfortably quiet. Hoseok went to stand at an empty seat. It wasn’t until Number 24 went to sit at the head of the long table that everyone sat. With shaky legs and a thumping heart, Hoseok followed. 

“Well since Number 10 is here, we can get started,” Number 24 said.

“What about the rest?” someone with a shrill voice asked to Hoseok’s left, “Shouldn’t Number 13 be here? She’s not answering her radio.”

Someone else snorted, “Fuck 13. Last time I checked she was taking a dump. She can catch up on notes later.”

“Alright,” Number 24 called. Everyone’s attention snapped to him and grew quiet, “We’re running behind so let’s just begin.”

He grabbed a remote and switched it to the projector, which shined with an image of a checklist. Hoseok quickly read through the unfamiliar phrases. The information gave him no leads.

“Number 11,” called 24 from the head of the table, “What’s the update on your mission?”

Hoseok followed his gaze to see a petite girl sitting at the farthest corner of the table, arms folded. He still couldn’t shake how weird the numbers were. No one was more than a digit there. It made him uneasy, and a chill threatened to rake up his body. 

The girl, Number 11, scoffed, “Update? What do you want to know?”

“Did you do it yet?” another man chimed in.

“Not yet,” she shrugged.

“Of course not, she’s been working on this for months,” said another, “You have one job, why’s it taking so long?”

Number 24 strummed his fingers on the table, “I’m starting to think you’re incompetent, 11...or scared. I’m not sure which is worse, honestly.”

       “Listen,” she laughed without humor, “don’t rush good work, okay? It’ll get done.”

Number 24 sighed, ready to continue when the room was suddenly washed with a neon orange light. An alarm came after, blaring out of the speakers.

The group looked around, confused.

“Isn’t that the fire alarm?” one of the men asked.

“F-?” the man next to Hoseok began. Though Hoseok had already pulled the pistol from his waist and planted a bullet into his skull. He turned and shot the man on his other side. Both crashed to the ground. Without a moment to pause, Hoseok ducked under the table. He didn’t have to look to know it was coming, it was expected. He felt a bullet whiz past his head. The room erupted into chaos, swirling with questions and bullets. 

He quickly grabbed the underside of the table and pushed it to its side like a wall, separating himself from the rest of the room.

“I need backup!” Hoseok called to the earpiece, “I’m in the 3rd floor boardroom!”

“We’re on our way up now! Just hold out!” you replied.

Two bullets shot through the table, and Hoseok ducked and fired a few of his own over the table. He heard a grunt and heavy thud. It was an all out war zone, as gunfire filled the space. Hoseok was close to the door. He contemplated an escape when the wood of the table suddenly split in half. 

One of the masked figures had kicked through the table, and before he could react Hoseok was thrown against a wall. The man lurched his foot in Hoseok’s gut, and he doubled over as the breath was knocked from him. Hoseok grabbed the knife in his belt and dug it deep into the Anti assassin’s thigh. Though, there wasn’t a reaction. Not even a cry of pain. Hoseok searched the man’s eyes, and even as his leg bled, there was a look of amusement there. He pulled back his fist and punched Hoseok square in the cheekbone. For the briefest moment, Hoseok saw stars.

He regained himself, wrestling with the man when he saw a glint in his periphery. He ducked, and a second later the man’s hold on him stilled. He coughed a few times, and fell to the floor. Hoseok saw a blade, lodged in his back, meant for him instead. 

He immediately grabbed the door handle and launched himself into the hallway. 

He heard the footsteps trailing after him, and he turned and fired back as the hallway was sprayed with bullets. As he ran, a sharp pain pierced through his shoulder. He stumbled, pushing himself to run faster as he turned down another hall.

Hoseok touched his burning shoulder, finding his hand bloody when he pulled it back. 

“Shit,” he breathed, inspecting the bullet wound. 

The footfalls continued, nearing closer. In the short hallway was one of the few windows he had seen in the entire building. It was boarded up lazily with wooden planks, and Hoseok rushed to kick into them, ignoring the pain in his arm as his body jolted. When he managed a hole big enough for his body he peeked through to see what awaited him below, and paused. Directly under the window was a lake, about a 50 foot drop. His heart plummeted. Just looking at the still black water below made him nauseous. There had to be another way, he thought. He searched for another room, another hallway, anything but the dark water awaiting him. But as the footsteps neared he knew he had no choice. 

        His heart stuttered. 

     Hoseok sat himself on the window sill, ears ringing as the footsteps drew nearer. The next moment he jumped, sinking into the abyss. 

____________________

Outside, the boys secured the perimeter of the square building as they were told. 

Jimin and Yoongi shared one side. They crouched in the brush, staring up at the blocked windows.

Jimin fidgeted with the sniper rifle in his lap. He was so used to being in on the action, hearing everything play through his earpiece only made him yearn for it more.

Yoongi sat by his side, silent as usual, staring up at the seemingly abandoned building. He could see a slight glow from within, a sign that Namjoon’s fire had made its way up to the 2nd floor.

        “Say something, you’re making me nervous,” Jimin blurted out of nowhere. Yoongi turned to him, an obvious question in his expression, “It's like I’m out here by myself.”

“Well you’re not.”

Jimin sighed. The glow of the fire made his anxiety skyrocket. Namjoon usually had good ideas, but this one was so wild, so unpredictable, he had to think twice, “You think they’re okay in there? No one has checked in in a while. I still think we should have gone inside.”

“Nothing we can do about it now, right?” Yoongi shrugged, “We couldn’t have gone in even if we wanted to.”

“Well yeah, but come on. This is Anti we’re talking about, how can you be so lax?” Jimin asked, appraising his squad mate in the darkness, “Are you okay? I’ll apologize for what happened with pictures again if this is what it’s about. I messed up-”

“Let’s focus on the mission, yeah?”

Jimin deflated, “Yeah. Okay.”

_____________

On another side of the building, Taehyung had set up his post. He laid flat on his stomach, peering through his scope at the glowing windows. He had the entire front side to himself as the best shooter in the outside group. The square building would have been divided evenly among the four men if the back side was an option, but they realized that it was guarded by a lake. No matter how good they were, no angle would allow them clearance of that side.

Through his earpiece, he could hear scattered conversations. The silence of outside was haunting, especially as he knew the hell that wreaked within. The orange glow grew brighter, and he heard the screams ringing from the second floor. 

“Have you had any escape on your side yet, Jin?” Jimin asked.

“Nope,” he responded. He was still parked by the side door in the Anti van, “and I hope it stays that way, too.”

       “What about you, Tae?” Jimin asked.

As soon as the question was asked, there was a loud crash. Above him, was a wooden plank hanging from the second floor window. It was kicked out by three figures. Their silhouettes were all Taehyung could see. Behind them, the fire raged as they prepared to jump to the ground below. Though they didn’t get the chance. In a split second, Taehyung zeroed in and fired three shots. The Anti figures went limp and tumbled out the window, falling into the overgrown hedges below. 

“I just got three from a second floor window!” he called. 

“Shit, they’re actually getting out?!” Seokjin asked.

“Just keep your guards up!” Jimin said.

With the window being open, all of the maylay was released into the stillness of outside. The fire shined brighter, consuming the building from the inside. 

Taehyung watched, mesmerized, “Hey, this fire is getting intense.”

_______________

From the front seat of the Anti van, Seokjin continued to watch the cameras. The glock in his lap was heavy, and he ignored it as he watched the screen. Taehyung’s update made his anxiety soar. The building was boarded up for a reason, how were they escaping? Then again, they were on surveillance duty for a reason as well, in the scenario that there was a hole in the plan. 

How he wished there wasn’t one. 

“Shit, they’re actually getting out?!” he asked stupidly.

 He cursed to himself, rubbing the mask in exasperation. His screen had a view from the security cameras inside. The first floor’s feed went down several minutes before, and the second floor’s were covered with puffs of thick gray smoke. The cameras were his connection to the mission, and without them, there was a sense of blindness he felt. A sense of helplessness.

In his periphery, there was a flash of light. From his side of the building, he saw the boards fall as two shadows followed. They jumped, landing squarely on the grass as they made a run for the van on the treeline. 

They wretched the door open, throwing themselves in the back seat and shutting it behind them. Their masks were scorched, exposing red faces and burns to Seokjin through the rearview mirror. 

“Drive! Go, go, go!” one man with long stringy hair called.

“Fucking go! We need to go to the secondary base, now!” the other with singed eyebrows yelled.

“Secondary base?” Seokjin repeated to himself.

“Are you fucking deaf?! GO!” one of the men lurched forward and grabbed Seokjin’s shoulder with hot fingers. 

Seokjin’s reflexes took over. He took the gun in his lap, turned around, and fired two bullets. The man let go of Seokjin as he was knocked backwards, bullet in his head. The other slumped down against the seat. His eyes darted frantically as he touched the hole in his chest. He looked up at Seokjin, confusion there, before he and his eyes went still.

Seokjin’s head rang. The metal in his hand was hot to the touch. He dropped it into the passenger seat, staring at the bodies in the back.

“Fuck…” he said, “Fuck!”

“We heard gunshots. Are you okay?!” Yoongi asked.

“Yeah…” he relaxed against the headrest, “Two escaped and got in the van. But I handled it. It’s over.”

There was a silence on the other end.

“Handled it meaning you…?” Jimin asked.

“Yeah.”

“Damn.”

“I need backup!” came Hoseok’s sudden voice, “I’m in the 3rd floor boardroom!”

“We’re on our way up now! Just hold out!” you replied soon after.

It snapped Seokjin back to the present. He turned to look back at the building and froze. In those mere seconds the fire had grown tenfold. It seemed to climb up slowly. From his view he could see it begin to make its way to the third floor.

“I think I’ll have to call the helicopter sooner than expected.”

______________________

The orange lights of the fire alarm were blinding. The heat beneath your feet put you on edge. Suddenly, everything felt extremely hellish.

The fire was coming, steadily rising since Namjoon had started it around 10 minutes before. 

It had been noticeable to you and Jungkook almost as soon as it had begun, but slowly it became more intense. Though the 2nd floor hallways were bad, you realized the stairwell was even worse when you went inside. It was stifling, choking, as if all the heat were trapped in the small space. Namjoon made his way up, and you noticed the beads of sweat on him through the eyeholes. It felt as if the three of you were baking.

You all kept a calm demeanor, aware of the blinking camera recording your every move from the ceiling.

“I think it’s climbing fast,” Namjoon said loud enough to hear over the alarm.

Lightly, there were the sounds of footfalls and voices outside the door, approximately seven. From the clumsy steps, they seemed frenzied and confused. 

The door to the stairwell suddenly opened and an Anti assassin stepped inside.  

“There’s a fire on the first floor! It already took over some of the second!” he panted.

Namjoon looked up at the security cameras, then back at you. A weighted question.

Jungkook stepped towards the man, blade in his hand before lurching it into him. 

He sank to the ground, unmoving.

The camera still blinked red.

“Oh, come on!” you screamed, nearly snatching the mask off. 

“What?! Isn’t this literally what we came here for?”

“The camera, dumbass,” you said through clenched teeth.

Jungkook spared a glance up and froze, remembering.

“Shit.”

There went your anonymity.

“We need to get moving,” Namjoon interrupted.

“Well shouldn’t we take out the rest on this floor first?” Jungkook asked.

“No we’re running out of time, we need to keep going! They only have two escape options. One being to follow us up to the third floor where we can take them out later, or try to escape out a window and get handled by the snipers. It’s not worth the trouble.”

“I need backup!” called Hoseok through the earpiece, “I’m in the 3rd floor boardroom!”

         “We’re on our way up now! Just hold out!” you replied.

          The three of you ran up the stairs to the final floor. The echo of the alarm made it hard to hear your own thoughts, and you fought the urge to cover your ears.

Opening the door, the 3rd floor hallway was surprisingly crowded. You did a quick count, 10 in total. They stood around, weapons drawn, frantic conversation spinning. 

Over the alarm came a muffled voice- an announcement, “SECURITY BREACH! SECURITY BREACH! INFILTRATORS POSING AS NUMBERS 5, 8, 10, AND 22!”

There was a split second of apprehension and cohesive confusion. You used it to your advantage. Grabbing the blade in your belt, you launched it into the esophagus of the figure next to you. 

The second after, hell broke loose.

The man tried to swipe at you, fighting for breath with bulging eyes. You pulled him in front of you, an effective shield as a flurry of knives came flying your way. As you held him up, you threw your own blade. A woman charged at you, and the knife landed squarely in her head before she fell to the carpet.

Beside you, Namjoon ducked as an identical figure swung at him. The punch missed. Namjoon sprung up, using his knife to swipe his attacker’s stomach. There was a squelch as the man’s innards hit the floor. He heard fast approaching footsteps. Without missing a beat, he turned and pointed his gun at the new opponent. There was obvious fear as the second man looked at the empty shell of his comrade bleeding on the floor. Namjoon couldn’t make himself analyze the humanity of the situation, though he debated it. It would make things harder than they had to be. He pulled the trigger and watched as he joined the other man in the heap. 

Blood coated the walls, unseen through the black paint. 

On the other side, Jungkook began to run. As planned, some turned to follow him, two in total. It wasn’t as many as he had hoped, but it was all he could do to lessen your load. 

He skidded as he turned corners, trying his best to get some distance between them. Over the alarm, he could hear commotion coming from inside one of the rooms. He could feel energy, sense the aura of life inside. Jungkook kicked down the door, showing a room full of screens. A single woman sat at the monitors, microphone before her lips through the thin mask.

In one sweep, he knew exactly where he was.

The surveillance room.

Jungkook noticed the apprehension in her eyes, the moment of wonder behind his identity. It seemed like in the final moments she came to the right conclusion as she reached for her gun, but he was already one step ahead. He fired a shot, and she slumped against the keyboard. Blood spread across the buttons. 

As Jungkook took a moment to collect himself, there was a sudden, splitting pain in his back. It was so random, so unexpected Jungkook thought he might be imagining it, but it stayed. He felt behind him and pulled a knife from between his shoulder blades. 

It was a shallow wound, the result of a lack of commitment. He looked up to see a single masked man in the corner of the room, hiding in the shadows just feet away. 

He hadn’t checked the whole room.

When he heard approaching footsteps, he yanked the man to his body and put him in a headlock. The feat was easier than expected, as he did nothing to resist. Against Jungkook’s chest, he could feel the man’s frantic breathing. His body felt almost frail. 

He probably only worked in this room, Jungkook imagined. He’s probably like Seokjin. He doesn’t have the same combat skills as the others. 

In the next second, the two assassins that had been following Jungkook appeared in the doorway, guns drawn.

Jungkook had his own ready, but placed it to the man’s head

“Try anything and your friend is fucking dead!” he said.

Without hesitation, the room was sprayed with sparks as bullets hit machines. Jungkook’s eyes went wide, surprised as the man he had been holding was shot in the chest. A bullet pierced Jungkook’s arm, and he dropped the dead man on the floor as he hid behind a rack of computers. 

He watched the blood flow from his left arm nonstop. He moved his fingers, glad to see he still had mobility. It burned. Similar to touching the wrong side of an iron. Jungkook had shot a lot of people, but never in his life had he had that fate dealt back onto him.

He assessed the room. The concrete walls created a lot of ricochets.

Of course. He could work with this. 

It took him a second to figure out the angles. It was a lot of geometry and hope but that was all he had. Jungkook fired two shots at the wall next to the men. 

The bullets hit the wall and in the next instant, ricocheted and ripped through their brains.

They didn’t know what hit them, unable to process the quickness of their own lives as it was taken away. 

Jungkook pushed himself up from the floor where he hid and rushed to the door. He shuffled along, the gnawing pain in his arm and back slowing him down. When he turned down another hall, he saw a dead end and several broken wooden boards. Looking at the adjacent window, he knew they had been ripped from it, a desperate means of escape. 

He went to the window and saw the endless black abyss of the lake below. If he expected anything, it was to see an Anti member floating there. Instead, he saw a bobbing head and flailing arms. Jungkook’s stomach sunk when he realized he knew that face. It was one he had seen too many times in the same situation. One of terror. One of unsolved trauma. 

“Hoseok!” Jungkook screamed.

He climbed through the window and launched himself into the water three stories below. It was freezing, a shock to the system as his body screamed at him to stop. It tried to fail him as he swam towards his squad mate. He held Hoseok’s weight with his injured arm as his legs tried to make up for the work.

“You okay?!” 

“Hel...helicopter.” Hoseok said.

Jungkook followed his gaze up to the sky to see the helicopter above them.

“Hey!” he screamed, “Here! Down here! Hurry up!”

A ladder dropped down and dangled above them. Jungkook pushed Hoseok up first and then followed. It took all his strength to hold on as they were pulled up.

He looked down at the building as he was suspended in the air and his mouth fell open. The fire had enveloped most of the third floor. The gunfire rang on.

____________

The inside had cleared out significantly. You remained in the same hallway, narrowly avoiding the bodies that covered the floor as you fought. 

It had been with the same girl, Number 11, for what felt like minutes, though it couldn’t have been longer than one. She was small, thinner than you. Her bodysuit hugged her frame in a way that allowed you to see the hint of her ribs. It should have been easier, you thought. A quick kill then on to the next, but she was resilient. She held a sly raw power, a surprise that was unseen until provoked.

 You felt a hint of fatigue in your chest, but you pushed through.

All you could see was her eyes, a wild ferocity in them that kept you alert. With every punch you threw, she returned it. It was a never ending cycle, a game that neither were willing to lose. There was an intimacy in it that even you recognized. It held a rhythm, as if you two were dancing and there was no one else in the world. 

In a change of pace, she reached forward and slung you into the wall. Number 11 quickly reared back the knife she had been holding and threw it. It dug into the wall beside your head. The girl ran straight at you, and you reared back your leg to kick her straight in the stomach. Though Number 11 was quick, and pulled you by the leg towards her. She used your momentum to slam your head into hers.

You saw white for a moment. It was a confusing pain, and in your daze you reached behind you to grab the knife stuck in the wall. You slashed it forward and felt it connect. Though as soon as it made contact, you knew it wasn’t enough.

There was a cut in her mask from the bridge of her nose to her jaw. The mask was ripped, but held so tight to her face that it didn’t let any of her features show. You knew it was deep, and her eyes told you that she knew it too. 

She reached up to check the wound and let out a scoff- a dark, humourless sound.

You noticed the silence of the hallway and realized it was empty. Namjoon was nowhere in sight. You scanned the bodies on the floor, hoping you wouldn’t see his number and silently celebrated when you didn’t.

That moment of rest let you reevaluate your situation. There was a panicked yelling in your ear.

“Get the hell out of there, what are you doing?!” came Seokjin’s voice. He had been screaming the advice for minutes but you didn’t notice over the maylay around you. 

“_____, do you hear me?! Leave the fight! Just go! We need to go!” Namjoon said, “Seokjin, where’s the fucking helicopter!”

“On the south side of the building near the lake! All of us are already inside, we’re waiting for you!”

“Hurry up! The fire is getting too crazy, you’re going to be trapped inside!” came Taehyung’s voice.

In your periphery you saw Number 11 swing again, snapping you back into the moment. Though you didn’t retaliate. Instead you turned to sprint away in the direction you had seen Jungkook go earlier.

“Joon, where the fuck are you?!” you screamed over the alarm. For the first time, you noticed the black puffs of smoke that clouded your vision. You began to cough.

“I found the hatch! I need backup! Keep following the halls!” 

In a stroke of luck you found him. He was surrounded by three other men. They all looked like they wanted to get the door on the ceiling open, but wouldn’t allow Namjoon to be the one to do it. None of them had guns, you noted.

You rushed in, breaking through them as you covered for your leader. Namjoon hurried up the ladder, using brute force to try and open the hatch. He was an open target, and you had your gun trained on the men that tried to get past.

“If you want to burn in here don’t you fucking dare,” you said. The smoke made you choke on your own words.

“I’d rather burn than let you fuckers out-” one began.

You shot him point blank. 

You readied to empty your clip on the others, but there was a rush of air as the door was opened.

“Let’s go!” Namjoon shouted as he climbed up.

You rushed to follow him, feeling the men on your heels. The night air enveloped you, shocking like water from a cold shower. 

Just up above was the violent whipping of helicopter blades. The ladder dropped down and Namjoon grabbed on. He rushed to climb up. He was already inside when he looked down and realized that you weren’t right behind him.

“_______!” 

You were still on the roof fighting a three on one deathmatch. 

“Go back down to her so she can get on!” Namjoon yelled at the pilot.

He shook his head, “Someone is shooting at the cockpit! If I get any closer then we’ll all be in danger.”

Namjoon looked down to see a female figure that wasn’t there before. She was aiming up at the helicopter as you fought the other two. He could see their numbers from where he sat: 11, 24, and 25. 

Yoongi held onto the back of the pilot’s seat, “Let us back down!”

“It’s too dangerous right now, please wait a little bit!”

“We don’t have a little bit!” 

Taehyung got into a kneeling position, preparing his aim as he looked through his scope.

“Wait!” Seokjin warned him, “Look, the ceiling is caving in!”

To the group’s horror, he was correct. Farther away, chunks of the ceiling fell into the building, revealing the sheer hell beneath. The pieces grew steadily, approaching the area where you stood.

“She’s gonna fall inside…” Jimin said, trance-like.

“_______! Forget it! Come the fuck on!” Jungkook screamed from his place on the helicopter floor.

“It's collapsing!” Yoongi followed.

You looked around, breaking from the fight to see the holes around you. The flames licked up, soaring past you to the sky. 

You had only managed to temporarily paralyze the two men. They sank to their knees as they held onto their shins. You readied to end them when the boys’ cries told you not to.

Forget it.

In a split second, Number 11 turned her gun on you. Before she could fire you grabbed her hand, twisting it until you heard a snap. The gun clattered onto the floor and fell into one of the fiery holes. With her free hand, she desperately clawed at you, hands going to where your hair should be. She grabbed onto your mask, wrenching off of your face. For the first time since the mission started, you were exposed. She paused, an expression that you couldn’t understand. You took that pause to roundhouse kick her in the head. 

You ran towards the helicopter ladder. As you neared, you realized that it was much farther than you expected. It was several feet away from the edge of the roof, the lake below. 

Launching yourself off the roof, you jumped. By some miracle, your fingers caught the last rung. You dangled in the air for a bit, struggling to pull yourself up as the boys screamed down at you. 

There was a sudden weight on your legs. You nearly let go all together. You looked down to see Number 11 hanging from your ankles. As you swung from the ladder, you struggled to keep steady. Your fingers were cramping. You felt like your body was being torn apart from both directions. She gripped your legs tight, her wild kicking only loosening your grip. After much struggle, you freed one leg and rammed it into her nose. She let go, and plunged into the black water below. 

You finally climbed up, several hands pulling you inside the helicopter. You crawled to safety, knees raw until you finally fell flat onto your back. 

You breathed in deep, catching a rhythm within the whir of the blades. Though everyone was accounted for, there was still a frantic energy. You pushed yourself up and noticed  Jungkook and Hoseok’s bloody bodies.

The small medic team surrounded them. Their bodysuits had been cut off, exposing the extent of injuries. Blood trailed from Hoseok’s shoulder, and he winced as the medic dug into the wound with tweezers. Jungkook bit his lip, face red as he fought back a scream as two medics attended to his arm and bare back.

“What happened?!” you asked. You felt an inexplicable shame.

“Shot,” Hoseok breathed.

“Shot and stabbed,” Jungkook followed. A single tear fell from his eye, and he rushed to wipe it away. “It fucking hurts, that’s all,” he muttered after seeing your face.

“A-are they okay? Are they gonna be okay?” you turned to the medics. They gave rushed reassurances as they worked, talking about missed tendons and no long-lasting damage. 

“Dammit!” Yoongi said.

He and Namjoon looked out the window at the fiery blaze in your wake.

“They escaped. The last two on the roof just jumped into the water before the roof collapsed. I saw it.” Namjoon said.

Jimin sat down opposite you, holding his face, “We failed.”

“No...there’s no way.” Seokjin tried, “After all that? How can we call it a failure?”

“We didn’t clear the building. There were still three left.”

“Oh, come on-!”

“He’s right. By Academy standards anyways...we didn’t get all of the targets. We failed the mission,” Taehyung said.

Everyone sat with those words for the rest of the ride. Never in your careers had you failed a mission. It was always a sure win. It was given that you would handle anything thrown your way. You used to be dependable like that. 

The bloody bodies, torn spirits, and aching egos inside the helicopter felt that word more than ever.

       Failure.

________________

The very fact that you all had to carry on with your lives felt like a sick joke. The other squads could sulk in their anonymity for a while- something you envied. Though, school and a semi-regular 20-somethings life was what you all wanted, and you had to remember that.

Yet another thing you all could only blame yourselves for. 

Going back to classes was nearly impossible, but you shuffled on through the bodies and lectures regardless. This was something no amount of coffee or sleep could solve.

The night after the mission ended, the squad just stayed over at the boys’ apartment. There was something about being alone afterwards that no one could handle. Hoseok and Jungkook stayed behind with the Academy medics to watch over their wounds. The remaining six of you sulked in the living room until the sun rose, seering guilt resting heavy on your hearts. 

Even when you finally made it to your own apartment to get ready for classes, the place was silent. Luna was nowhere to be found, and you were grateful. You could deal with your fatigue alone. 

After classes were done, you made a beeline for the door. The fresh air wasn’t the refresher you hoped it was, and you held your jacket tight as you walked across the courtyard. 

There was a small crowd of boys handing out flyers on the lawn. One turned to you and waved. In your sleepy haze you ignored him until he fully registered. 

He jogged over, eyes equally tired and defeated. His smile told a different story.

“Hey,” Jimin said.

“Hey,” you repeated. An awkward silence followed, and you shifted feet as you looked at everything but each other. “Frat event?” you asked, motioning to the other boys.

“Yeah, we’re promoting our next mixer,” he said. 

How he was able to smile in people’s faces all day and not fall apart, you had no idea. You would always respect that about him.

You felt him looking you over, “What?”

“You want to be my date or…?”

“Or.”

“C’mon!”

“Is that even a surprise?”

“Not really,” he shrugged, “But just know, babe, I’m only joking around. If I actually tried, you’d already be mine. Don’t forget that,” he winked.

He expected more from your reaction, but you simply looked across the yard at the other students. 

“Hey,” he said, voice lower, “is it the mission? I know we failed, but we still did our best, you know?”

You just nodded, still staring off into space, “Yeah.”

“Jungkook and Hoseok are back.” He tried again. “I don’t know if you saw in the groupchat, but they were discharged this morning. They’re recovering pretty well.”

“Yeah, I saw,” you said. “I’m glad. It’s great news.”

He squinted at you. He sat in the silence for a while before finally pulling you into a hug.

Your first instinct was to push him away, but the warmth and sincerity melted you. You hugged him back, holding each other in the middle of the lawn. You weren’t the first to let go, he was. He held you by the shoulders and gave a smile. Not the Frat Boy smile, not the Playboy smile, but one so genuine it startled you.

“Get some rest, okay?”

You nodded, “You too. I’m serious.”

He put two fingers to his head in a solute and walked back to his group.

The road back home was a bit more peaceful. You felt lighter. You rolled your shoulders back. You couldn’t wait to drown your sorrows in a shower and smother it within your sheets.

In the back of your subconscious, you felt a lingering anxiety. You kept your eyes forward, scanning your surroundings until you landed on something behind you. You were being followed. It was some sort of big vehicle telling by the sound of the wheels. You kept a steady pace on the sidewalk, and the car sped up until it parked right beside you. 

You turned to see a black SUV. 

The back window rolled down, and your heart fell through your stomach. 

Mr. Kim smiled at you. In the seats alongside him, Namjoon and Yoongi’s heads hung.

“Good afternoon.” Mr. Kim opened the door. “Come on. Let’s take a ride.”