Take Me to the Sky | BTS+

POW

When Jeon Jungkook opened his heavy eyes, he was more than a little bit surprised to discover that he was laying on a dirt floor surrounded by metal bars.

It was the rattle and roar of a man in a barred cell next to him that'd woken him from his drugged slumber.

Jungkook rolled sideways stiffly to see that the man was wearing nothing but a leather girdle, to go along with a range of fresh gashes, peppering of grime and sweat, and a deranged look in his eyes.

The drowsy pilot rubbed at his eyes, then squinted around to realize that he wasn't in some small holding space. His tiny cell was one of dozens, maybe more, that were all lined up beyond what his eye could see. Each housed a body. Some of them, he couldn't tell if they were living or dead.

He crawled to his feet and wiped the dust from himself. His space jumpsuit was gone now, and in it's place he wore a plain white T-shirt and baggy shorts.

How did I get here? One second I was with Chimin, we were almost to the Mysterium, and then....

His head felt like it had been split open with an ax. He pressed into his temples to soften the ache.

"Oh good. You're awake."

Jungkook's heart pounded with excitement. "Chimin! You're here!"

His golden haired friend was sitting just outside of his cell with his legs folded. As Jungkook stumbled towards the bars and gripped them tightly in his hands for support, confusion only began to swell even more in him at what he saw.

Chimin made no motion to look up at Kookie, to come rushing forward to acknowledge him or to help him. The treasure hunter-gone-rogue was staring and clicking away into his computer that was propped open at his feet as if Jungkook weren't even there.

A touch of fear was in his voice as Kookie asked, "What's going on, Chimin?"

Without looking up, he answered in an uncharacteristically biting voice, "You're a POW, Jungkook. Do you know what that means?"

"Prisoner of war."

"And do you know who's prisoner you are?" Still, Chimin didn't look up. His fingers were lighting clicking keys.

"Yours?"

"Yes. So don't ask me to let you out of there, because I'm not going to. Not yet."

"What? This doesn't make sense. No one's at war!"

"That's soon to become untrue."

"Chiminie, what are you doing?" anguish fell into Jungkook's voice.

Biting, sharp eyes finally looked up at Jungkook. Chimin showed none of his usual glint of demure softness, brightness, or generosity. The same was true of his voice as Chim said, "I'm trying to save Era. And unfortunately I need your help to do it."

"You could've just asked!"

"It's not that simple!"

Jungkook gripped the metal bars tightly in his hands, eyes locked in a fierce glare with Chimin.

"I can't say anymore, Kookie. Just don't look at me like that, or I'll put you under again." Chimin turned his fierce eyes back to his computer. "And no, your escape rune magic won't work down here. These cells are anti-magic rigged. Some of the oldest and strongest magic-resistant coding ever made."

Suddenly there was a rumble like a heard of feet rushing overhead. Dust shook down from the ceilings.

"At least tell me where we are," Jungkook interjected.

"We're at Nohmu Kuhn Stadium. Specifically, we're in the criminal barracks."

Kookie's eyes skimmed over the other inmates around him once again, as recognition took hold. "I see. So does this mean I'm here to fight someone? For your 'war'? Because if that's the case then you could've just asked and I would have...."

"Yes, you're going to fight. But that's all I'll say for now. Rest, Kookie. You're going to need all of your strength when it's your turn in the arena."

Just as Jungkook was about to protest, he heard footsteps echoing along past the far cells. Then the small figure of Lilith appeared, sporting a lovely knee-length black dress with her dark hair cast to the side in perfect ringlets. She had a Geji blade in her left hand, and there was fresh red blood dripping from it.

Jungkook gripped the handle bars tightly. "Chim, look out!"

When Chimin looked up and saw Lilith standing there, he sighed and said in a dull voice, "Jin's being stubborn, huh?"

"As an ass. Which I normally love about him, but today it's most inconvenient." Lilith stretched out a cloth to clean her freshly used shortsword blade, making sure to keep from getting any on her dress. Her dark, eyelinered eyes flickered to Kookie's cell, but she didn't say anything to him.

Betrayal. That's what Jungkook felt properly sinking in as he observed their cordial exchange. The nauseating feeling of betrayal.

"Well just let me know how things go with Jin. If I need to step away from here and collect Shae myself, I will."

At the sound of Shae's name, Jeon Jungkook felt a chorus of rage flood him that wasn't entirely his own.

At the sound of Jungkook suddenly kicking and rattling the bars of his cell, Lilith and Chimin paused to stare a moment. Each of them had their hands poised and ready, Lilith with two hands on her blade and Chim with his hand hovering over a dagger at his hip.

But the anti-magic systems seemed to hold. Even against a Gwangju Ai's potential power.

"Well damn, Chimin, you were right."

Chimin flashed a brief smile. "I told you that we had to have Yoongi break down these security codes, or it'll never work!"

"Do you ever get tired of being right?" Lilith asked warmly.

Chimin giggled. "Can't say that I do."

When they realized that Jungkook was still glaring out at them, like an angry dog stuck in a cage, the lighthearted moment quickly ended.

As rapidly as she'd appeared, Lilith was off again down the hallway, carrying a picnic basket in tow and her Geji blade hidden from sight.

"How do you sleep at night?" Jungkook wondered aloud, haunting bitterness in his voice.

"With awful nightmares to keep me company," Chimin answered, not bothering to hide the pain hidden beneath his words.