Waiting Game | pjm ✓

059. Fighting Battles

Jimin's tongue was soaked in the taste of blood. Each of Jiah's attacks were coupled with a mental infliction of pain. She sprinted at him again. Her blows were fast and precise, never leaving time for him to land his own. All he could do was block hers, powering through the violent pain. He was tiring slowly.

Her clawed hand managed to grasp the side of his neck. Blood seeped through the wound, streaming down towards his chest. A sudden gush of pain jolted throughout his body. His defenses were beginning to weaken.

The adrenaline rushing through his veins, Jimin ran behind her, too fast for her to see. He gripped on her waist, throwing her across the graveyard, her body slamming into one of the giant oak trees. Instantly, she landed on all fours and stood back up.

"It's kind of romantic, don't you think," she hissed, a psychotic glint scintillating in her blazing red orbs. "Dying while protecting the woman you love. Dumb, but romantic."

"I'm not the one who's dying tonight," Jimin grunted. "None of us are."

"Are you really sure about that, Jiminie?" Jiah sneered. "Take a look around you."

Like a feline, she lunged at him again. Jimin braced himself for another blow.

"Fucking bitch!" someone cried out. Jimin had never heard Namjoon swear. The security team leader emerged from the forest, his roar of anguish echoing across the hills.

Jiah darted at her new target almost immediately, but Namjoon was too quick to let his fist smash against her face. She jumped away, but to no avail. Wild eyed, Namjoon swung and kicked her right in the chest. She fell to her knees with a startled gasp, failing to evade his sudden attack.

As much as Jimin was relieved to see Namjoon had arrived, he couldn't ignore the immense despair radiating from his friend.

"They killed her!" possessed by blind fury, Namjoon shouted madly. "They killed her, Jimin!"

"What are you talking about?" Jimin shouted back, perturbed.

"Layla!" Namjoon cried, showing a side of him Jimin had never suspected of existing. Distraught and utterly devastated. "She was the girl they used as sacrifice to open that fucking portal! She's dead, Jimin, she's dead!"

The violent sound of crushing bones rent the air as Namjoon fell to the ground. Jiah removed her fingers from his neck and grinned.

"I hate being interrupted."

***

"Get away from me, you disgusting troll! Have you ever seen a shower?" Taehyung thundered, using his legs to push another one of Hyukjae's gorrillas off of himself. Seemed like luck wasn't on their side. The more they fought back, the more Hyukjae's army of robotic beasts advanced, multiplying like cockroaches.

A strained scream coming from somewhere behind him pierced Taehyung's ears.

"Jungkook?" he called out, fearing the worst.

"I'm okay," came his friend's short and breathy reply. "Sadly being invisible doesn't mean I'm invincible," he gave a humorless laugh. "But I'm afraid that guy over there has it even worse."

Taehyung let his eyes wander the improvised battlefield. Yoongi was struggling to keep up with his attackers, and that was putting it mildly. The raven haired man was on the brink of death, miraculously eluding another fatal blow. His movements had started to become slow and uncoordinated. Obviously he had never been a trained fighter.

"Goddammit," Taehyung cussed under his breath, wincing as he stood up and sprinted towards the uneven battle to help. "When did I become so soft?"

Yoongi had been backed up into a corner, right where the open portal to Abaddon was. A thin silver veil guarded its entrance. One of Hyukjae's zombie men had straddled Yoongi, thick fingers clasped around the injured man's throat. Taehyung picked up a stone and clocked the zombie man in the head, causing him to relinquish his grip on Yoongi.

"Thank-" Yoongi panted out before his eyes widened suddenly. His gaze briefly flashed somewhere over Taehyung's shoulder.

Before he could turn around, the Taehyung felt a hard shove on his back, sending him toppling forward.

Straight into the portal.

***

"NO!" Aera screamed with her whole chest, feeling as though her insides were being ripped apart. Namjoon's limp body tumbled to the ground.

She fell to her knees, overwhelmed with desperation, her head held between her arms. She watched as Jimin's shoulders drooped, his head hanging low. Fatigue had set in. They were slowly losing the fight.

And she wasn't doing anything. Just standing by while the others were fighting her battles.

An ear-shattering howl entered her ears. She whipped around only to see one of Hyukjae's mad dogs sprint towards her. Jimin was busy defending her from Jiah and the newly arrived Hyukjae who had joined his mother in the uneven fight.

Aera reeled backwards, her heart threatening to jump out of her rib cage. Just as the hulked man was about to reach her, a familiar voice yelled from behind her.

"Not my best friend, you dick!"

Meisa rushed past her, removing her shades in one calculated motion as if she had been doing it all her life. Upon looking in her emerald green orbs, the man froze and tumbled to the ground, petrified.

"Disgusting ogre," Meisa spat, digging her heel in his chest. His eyes stared up at the sky, dark and hollow. "Come on," she ushered, lightly pulling Aera up. The brown haired girl hissed and Meisa's gaze cast over the bloody spot on her jacket. "Is your arm broken?" she gasped in shock. "Jin will be here any second now, let's get you somewhere safer."

"No!" Aera wailed, trembling eyes traveling back at the exhausted Jimin. He was surrounded by Jiah, Hyukjae and two other men at once. "No, I can't run and hide while other people fight my battles. All of this is happening because of me."

"How do you know that-"

"Meisa, Jungkook was right! My father's mistress was the one behind this all along. We were played. She's a demon fox and she has killed my parents."

Meisa gave her a shocked look, draping her arm around Aera's shoulders. She gulped. "You're injured-"

"I don't care! I want to do something. I have to." Aera whimpered, shaking uncontrollably.

Meisa pressed her lips into a thin line, falling silent. Arguing was a luxury they couldn't afford right now.

Aera bit her lip. In the distance, she could see Jiah slowly abandoning the fight. The redhead's gaze darted to the ground where something was glistening in the darkness.

Instinctively, Aera's hand shot to the right pocket of her jacket. The crystal skull was gone.

It must have slipped out accidentally.

Faster than a lightning, Jiah flew forward and grabbed it, her eyes large from the thrill and the elation. She raised it in front of her face to take a good look at it, and grinned like an evil Cheshire cat before glancing over at Aera.

"No." Aera rasped, her jaw dropping.

Jiah whirled around, running off towards the other side of the woods. Next thing she knew, Aera was running after her.

"Aera, don't!" Meisa screamed, her friend's hand slipping through her fingers.