On The Run || JJK ✔️

13 - Land Ho!

"You just decided to change the name?" I ask. "What's that going to do?"

"It lets us shift away from the Commander-Guard-Fighter system. Namjoon doesn't want to call any of us 'Fighters' because... that would imply that he respects some of us less. So he doesn't."

J-Hope pauses to navigate over a bumpier section of the road. "Each of us has a distinct role that is equally as important. Together, we can become unstoppable."

"But there's already a system that exists. Why create your own?"

"If we're going to survive," J-Hope says, "then we've got to be unpredictable and different. We have to be unlike the government."

So this is how they're trying to change and beat the current system.

My heart swells in newfound respect and awe.

I've been wanting to go against the government for a while, but I've never been able to find people who openly think the same way. Now I have - and it's not only one person, but a whole group.

It all seems like a dream.

J-Hope pulls into a little empty clearing. I take in the dense forest around us - it's nearly impossible to see any more than a few meters through the trees.

We hop out of the truck.

"We just take a little walk down this trail right here," J-Hope points to a tiny pathway that I never would have noticed, "and then we're finished."

"Okay," I nod. "How long will it take?"

"It's just a bit. Shouldn't take long at all."

Then J-Hope walks around to the passenger's seat and looks at Jungkook, who is still passed out.

"I think we'll have to leave him here for now," he says decisively.

"What?" I freak out inside. "Why? Let's bring him with us."

"Y/n. Unless you're willing to pick him up and carry him through the forest yourself, that's not happening," J-Hope sighs.

"We could... can't we wind him over to Base C?" I ask desperately.

"Light and sound don't do that," J-Hope points out. "Unless you can generate enough sound waves to somehow lift up an entire person, I suggest we don't."

"... fine," I mutter, casting another glance at Jungkook.

There was no way that my noodle arms could carry his entire weight. And even though I have elemental powers, I'm too tired to use any of it at this point.

We start walking (more like dragging ourselves, we're so tired) along the pathway.

As I look at the trees around me, another idea pops up in my mind. Anything to keep him safe. "Wait, how about we leave one person here to protect Jungkook?"

"And what good would that do?" J-Hope prompts.

"Well if those guards show up again, then Jungkook would be defenseless!"

"And so would the person who stays behind. We're all exhausted, Y/n. You can't use your powers, and neither can I. They'd just capture two of us instead of one."

I want to retort, but I can't think of a very good argument against his point.

J-Hope softens his tone as he looks back at the truck, which is still in sight. "It'll be alright. Besides, I trust Suga. He's one of the best team members we have, and Jungkook will be fine. Satisfied now?"

I huff in resignation and grudgingly mumble a "yeah".

J-Hope nods in approval and turns back to the pathway. "Let's go then."

I gaze at Jungkook's sleeping figure one more time.

Then I turn to follow J-Hope into the woods.

~

The journey was quick to end afterwards.

The little pathway didn't take long to navigate at all. After a few short minutes, a little hill is in sight.

"Land ho!" J-Hope says cheerfully.

"Where's the land ho?" I scan the area but see no sign of a house or a base or... anything. Just a little hill. J-Hope beckons me over as he makes his way over to the side of the hill, where I finally locate the entrance. I almost scoff at how small it seems.

This looks like a place for... hobbits or something.

There's a short wooden door with a tiny peephole in the middle. There are no doorknobs visible. I look around for a way to bypass the entrance, but there doesn't seem to be one.

"Stay here, Y/n. I don't want you getting hurt on accident." After I agree, J-Hope waddles toward the little door. It only goes up to his nose.

"Bangtan Sonyeondan! Anyone home?"

I can hear faint shuffling going around inside. Then, a familiar voice: "Who is this?"

"Jung Hoseok, the sunshine."

"J-HOPEEEE!" A second voice exclaims.

"Hush Jimin," the first one says. "We still need to go through security protocol."

"Oh. Right."

We wait for a moment as they gather themselves. Then the first voice comes back. "Catchphrase?"

"I'm your hope, you're my hope, I'm J-Hope!" J-Hope chirps.

"Is anyone with you?" The voice finally clicks in my head. It must be the same person I heard over the walkie talkie.

"Yes hyung! Y/n is here."

"... anyone else?"

A pause. J-Hope looks back at me with a peculiar expression on his face. It looks like he's bracing himself for something. "Uhh, sort of. Jungkook is still in the truck."

"Aww, Jungkook-ssi must be sleeping! My Kookie -"

"Hush Jimin! Now where's the truck, J-Hope?"

"... in the parking lot."

"You left him out there?!"

"Well we couldn't just carry him here," J-Hope sighs impatiently. "Please just let us in, we can explain later but right now I just really want to go in and lay down and we're all exhausted and I don't want to stay out here any longer -"

At that, the little door swings open. I see two people on the other side.

One of them has really wide shoulders. He's wearing an apron and also holding a large wooden spoon as he bends down to see us through the little door.

The second one is shorter. Once the door opens completely, he jumps up and down in excitement while clapping his hands. "You guys are okay!"

That's all the time I have to observe them before I get dragged inside by the guy with the wooden spoon.

~

A/N: We're home! *claps with Jimin*

We'll explore Base C in the next chapter, so stay tuned <3