The Tiger King (Chaelisa)

81| The Secrets of Our Fathers

Previously:

chaennie escaped from Burning Sun club and got involved in a high octane car chase with police. jennie crashes the car to break the connection with jinyoung. hani retrieves them. the information rosé downloaded from the dead drop needed to infiltrate the showcase is successfully extracted and they learn it is going to be held at the Slammer. chaennie also view some disturbing photographs of tortured lisoo that jinyoung had passed on to rosé.

 hani promises to talk with chanyeol about using the photos as evidence against jinyoung. chaennie reminisce in bed together, especially about lisa since the plan is to extract her first and use her as leverage to get jisoo back. jennie expresses her doubts about lisa's state but rosie is tentatively hopeful that things will turn out ok. in the face of her optimism, jennie feels guilty for treating lisa inhumanely before but rosé comforts her.

trigger warning: mature and graphic scenes of violence. I'm not kidding, things get dark.

"I'm not liking this, Dasoni," Chanyeol frowned, poring over the data in front of him. The low light of the lamp wasn't helping his pinched eyes. But his paranoia had ramped up lately and since a notorious mob boss was presently sitting in his kitchen, he was wary of flooding his apartment with light, as though it were a beacon to call attention of all the neighbourhood that he was up to something illegal.

"Well, good thing I didn't come here for your opinion, Channie," she purred, impertinent as always. He closed his eyes, trying not to breathe in too deeply. The foul cigarette smoke clogged his lungs but he suppressed the urge to crush her awful cigarettes beneath his heel.

He was only tolerating her brazen behaviour because she had summoned him for an emergency meeting at his apartment, no less than an hour after the disaster on the motorway. He had seen the fiasco go down and left while the office was still rife with speculations and furious condemnations of terrorists. 

Chanyeol looked down again at the papers strewn with numbers and information. "Let me get this straight, your plan is to sneak in and steal Tiger King? Just like that? Sounds flimsy, coming from you."

"Jennie knows the Slammer so she will be an asset during infiltration. The twins will make up for her inexperience and support her to locate her sister."

Her sister. Chanyeol gave himself a little shake for forgetting that crucial detail.

"I know but still, going in there like that..." The knot of anxiety in his stomach tightened as he scanned the information obtained from the file Rosé had downloaded. "There's so little time to prepare."

"Lucky you, you're not involved this time." She dropped her light tone. "I admit it's not ideal, but it's the quickest option for the time we're working with. Not to mention, the best opportunity. Jinyoung will be forced to show us Tiger King. Your boys in blue haven't had much success finding her. Wherever he was hiding it, he was hiding it well. When else are we going to get such an opportunity where it's out in the open?"

He had to concede she had a point. The secret raids had only served to piss off Jinyoung, according to Jennie and Rosé, who had returned with a message for Dasoni to back off.

"The longer Jinyoung has Tiger King in his clutches, the more he solidifies his claim over it. Remember, TK-Ultra is addictive. It's a race against time. There's more at stake than just Tiger King too," she added.

"Kim Jisoo," Chanyeol said heavily, finding the gruesome photos amongst the loose sheets. It was enough to make even someone as hardened as himself wince from the senseless cruelty.

Hani paused, tapping the ash from her cigarette on the edge of a ceramic plate he had never used. "The longer that snake has her, the longer she'll suffer. Her and Ace."

Chanyeol grudgingly had to count himself surprised when he first heard of her apparent change of heart about Tiger King, forcing himself to once again re-asses his opinion of the woman sitting in front of him. She was an enigma, hot and cold, ruthless yet caring, purring up a storm one moment then ignoring him or treating him like a naive child the next. 

If he only she came with a manual to understand better...

"Jinyoung is so far up his ass, he won't think that anybody would dare to just snatch Tiger King from under his nose," Hani was saying. "If we time it carefully, we can do it. I'll figure it out in time. We'll scope out the surroundings beforehand as well and have backup."

"Have you considered, what if Tiger King is not there? What if Jinyoung deems it too precious to risk bringing out of its hiding place?"

"It will be there. Tiger King is at the centre of this whole showcase. He'll show it off." Hani tapped a sheet of paper. "My tech team dug out more information from the file. They decoded a whole timetable for the event, with times and everything. I think 'Tiger King Prime: Presentation' speaks for itself, doesn't it? That's going to come after 'Showcase Launch' and 'Introductory Address', and right before 'Tiger King Demonstration'.

She smiled when Chanyeol remained silent. "Very meticulous, isn't he?" 

Thinking about the slippery rat in any capacity had him clench his fists, and he paced, concocting the crackdown in his head.

"I have to stop him. I'll crack down on this showcase thing with my men, I'll ambush him and he won't know what hit him, and I'll rescue Tiger King— I mean, Lisa—"

"You'll do no such thing, my dark knight," Hani purred, making Chanyeol huff with irritation. Just when he thought they had embarked on some tentative agreement, the woman revealed her usual infuriating moves, relegating him to the side like a useless prop.

"And why is that?"

"We don't know which of the rat's moles are still lurking around you. You could be compromised." She took a long drag then exhaled, plumes of smoke spiralling towards the ceiling.  "Besides, I want to get my hands on Tiger King. I promised the girls I'd dispose of it, so Lisa can be free. Involving the authorities would infinitely complicate matters. And without Tiger King, you'd be missing a crucial piece of evidence to indict Jinyoung now, wouldn't you?"

"So Jinyoung won't be brought to justice?" he asked roughly.

"Oh he will. My justice," she promised, eyes glinting.

"Well, why are you telling me then?" he challenged, stopping to look her hard in the eye. "Why show up at my apartment at four in the morning to tell me about something that I am apparently barred from stopping—which by the way, you have absolutely no authority to order—"

"I have all the authority in the world," she cut in fiercely and stood up. 

"Oh really? No doubt bestowed upon you by the high and mighty Buddha himself!" he retorted. Chanyeol didn't flinch when she crossed the room and stood toe to toe with him, bringing with her the acrid smell of cigarette smoke, sharp and bitter. 

"You don't take me seriously. Nobody does," Dasoni said quietly. "That's the price I pay for being a woman. I have fought to earn respect, I have painted my hands with blood to make people goddamn look at me and see  me. I have had to rip myself up to protect people that needed protecting..."

Her piercing gaze had him falter when her eyes caught the light from a streetlamp outside, gleaming with ferocity. 

"I give myself that right, that authority, because nobody else would have given it to me," she finished. "I took it and shaped that authority to my will."

"You're not above the law—"

"The law didn't help me when I needed it most. The law was just as bad as the criminals it was supposed to punish. The law only serves the rich and powerful. So what difference does it make?" she said. 

Her voice had gone distant, unreachable, fled back to a past that Chanyeol didn't see or understand. 

"I am the law. I serve the people, that's how it's meant to be," Chanyeol tried again, struggling to wrest back control. 

"You're different," she said firmly.

"What's your deal with me, Dasoni?"

"I won't depend on the law to help me now. I came here to tell you because we agreed to let each other know our next moves. But I can't allow you to get involved," she said, sidestepping his question.

"Why not?" 

He held his breath when Dasoni's hand trailed up his face, caressing his jaw. He hadn't even seen her hand rise until he felt it, cool against his skin, and he stifled the reflex to flinch. Her hand slipped from his face, her gaze lowered, hiding from him. 

Chanyeol swallowed and ventured a guess that was almost laughable. "I can take care of myself, you know, if that's what you're...concerned about. I'm a detective. I'm a cop, I'm used to danger. It's what I do."

Dasoni didn't laugh. "And that's why I can't have you be involved. If you get hurt..."

She ducked her head, her face immediately shrouded in darkness.

"If I get hurt?" 

He sighed when she didn't reply, because of course, she clammed up whenever he tried getting a straight answer out of her.

"You know, you're really bad at communicating," Chanyeol grumbled. He was sure he had never met a woman as aggravating as she was.

"I'm not used to leaning on someone else," she said, and her simple admission knocked the wind out of his lungs. He could only stare.

She was far from an open book, but he fancied himself an able student, making ample progress in learning the cracks in her facade, the way she looked at him with such wistful softness whenever he caught her furtive glances, the secrets her eyes held, the strain and weight of her burdens that she kept from everyone. 

Yet, she was always so frustratingly cryptic, a mystery that had him scratching his head as he tried to fathom her next move. It was like playing chess with rules that he was unaware of. And sometimes, she bowled him over when he least expected it.

Was he ever going to see the true woman hiding behind her mask?

Chanyeol stepped forward, aware that he was venturing into uncertain territory. It was a familiar feeling by now, ever since he had crossed the grey line between going rogue and still working for the law. He found it hard to believe it was so easy and how he was doing it so guiltlessly. Maybe it was this easy for other corrupt cops too. 

"Dasoni, why do you care about whether I get hurt?" he tried again. If there was one thing he prided himself on, it was his perseverance for the truth. One way or another, he would eventually crack the enigma.

She pulled her shoulders up, pulling her walls up at the same time, and gave a little shake of her head. Just as Chanyeol thought she was going to dismiss the thickening tension simmering between them, she gave a little sigh. Then in a flurry of movement, she swept up the papers on his kitchen table.

"I'll tell you one day. For now, get some sleep, my dark knight. I'm sorry for keeping you."

"Hani—"

And she was gone in a cloud of smoke, leaving Chanyeol with a foreboding feeling festering in his gut. 

He shook his head, grumbling as he grabbed the plate of ash to dispose of it when he noticed she had forgotten a slip of paper behind, the one with the timetable of the showcase on it.

He picked it up and stared at it for an age, wondering and wondering.

>

Evening of the showcase

"Rosie, you got a little something here, let me get it for you," Jennie said, fussing over Rosé's lapels, picking at non-existent lint. "You gotta walk in there and look like a million bucks. And don't forget, confidence sells the act. Head up, back straight, shoulders back."

Rosé obeyed and straightened up as she smiled down at the top of Jennie's head. She had always yearned for an older sister or brother to come swoop her out of danger when she lived with her father. Those fantasies gradually morphed into a search for love and acceptance, which she had found with Lisa. But recently, having Jennie look out for her had reminded her of her younger self's wistful wishes for an unnie that would fuss and take care of her and stay by her side.

The past three days, Jennie had found any excuse to be close or touch Rosé, as though scared she was going to disappear into thin air at any given moment. Rosé didn't blame her—she thought the exact same thing. She gave Jennie a hug every morning when they woke up, before Jennie took her prescribed TK then went down to the gym to work off the aggression and prepare herself for the rescue operation. Rosé did endless pilates and cleaning to stave off her anxiety. At night, they clambered into bed and clung to each other like koala bears till they drifted off to sleep. They had taken to bathing together as well, a soothing ritual to ground them as they talked of everything and nothing.

Without warning, Rosé wrapped her arms around Jennie's back and pulled her in for a hug. Jennie didn't even startle, almost as though she had been waiting to be enveloped in an embrace. They stood there for several minutes, hearing Hani barking orders in the background as more of her henchmen checked over last minute preparations. They were enclosed in their little bubble. Rosé knew the moment they parted she wouldn't know peace until she held Jennie again, so she clung on, unwilling to let go.

"Rosie?" Jennie mumbled. 

Rosé smiled, endeared with Jennie calling her by Lisa's nickname for her. She thought it would sting at first, being reminded of Lisa every time, but it turned out to be strangely comforting instead, as though Jennie had picked up Lisa's mantle of protector by simply adopting the same nickname for her.

"Yeah?" Rosé said. Jennie squeezed her waist.

"If this goes sideways, I want to let you know I'm so sorry for being a bitch, before. I'm sorry for being toxic and jealous of you. I'm sorry I almost gave up Lisa to that psycho. I'm sorry. You're like a sister to me, so stay safe, stay alert. I need you alive." She paused. "Ella needs you alive the most. And I hope it doesn't come down to this, but if I'm gone, Jisoo and Lisa will depend on you. Okay?"

Rosé fought the lump stuck in her throat. "Don't you dare say goodbye right now. I swear, if you pull some crazy stunt that gets you killed, I'm whooping your ass for real. I'll come for you in the afterlife."

"You still owe me a whooping from last time," Jennie said, attempting to make light of the situation before she gave her a final hug. "I'm not taking chances. If—if something happens, I want to die with one less regret. Let me have this."

Rosé could only shake her head. "I've forgiven you a long time ago, Jen. You're like the sister I never had, too. I need you alive as well. I can't do this alone."

"Dammit Park, I'm not gonna get the waterworks started right now."

"You started it," Rosé chuckled but her nose tingled, the way it always did when she got emotional.

They had narrowly escaped death multiple times when going up against Jinyoung. They had been lucky, but like Jennie, Rosé didn't want to test their chances again. They were heading straight into the lion's lair, riding on risky odds and foolhardy bravado. 

Three nights ago, Rosé's biggest worry had been whether they would be able to reach the dead drop and find the right information in time, undetected.

Tonight, Rosé wasn't sure who was going to walk away alive. One of the reasons she was going with Hani was of the likelihood that she wouldn't be facing any perilous danger and threat of violence, unlike Jennie.

Because unlike Jennie, she had Ella to go back to.

Rosé clung on to Jennie just a little bit harder until Youngdeuk came looking for them.

"She'll be back, you know. You girls are acting like it's the end of the world," he joked.

"Feeling left out?" Jennie asked, dodging his shoulder bump. She gave Rosé one last reassuring squeeze. "See you later Rosie. You practice what you wanna tell Lisa, alright? I'm sure you've got a lot to tell her."

What she wanted to tell Lisa? 

Rosé froze as all the words crashed through her, all the words she drifted off to sleep thinking every night, all the words she said in her dreams: I love you, I'm so sorry, I never want to be apart from you again, I love you, everything will be okay as long as we're together and safe, you're safe now, we're okay now, I love you—

Jennie pulled away, determined to get going as soon as possible. On impulse, Rosé held Youngdeuk back from his arm before he could follow her.

"Deuk, keep her safe, don't let her do anything rash," she said quietly. She was trusting in his and Jennie's apparent bond. If trouble showed, she hoped he would rise up to the occasion and protect Jennie together with his twin.

Youngdeuk gave a little salute coupled with a roguish wink. "Don't you worry, she's in safe hands."  He wiggled his hands to illustrate. "See you later...maybe never."

"Don't joke like that, it's not funny," Rosé admonished sharply, past caring that she might hurt his feelings. She was too on edge for jokes even remotely implying the worst. 

He blinked at her, taken aback by her curt tone before nodding awkwardly.

"See you later," he amended quickly and ran after Jennie, leaving her frowning in his wake.

>

Rosé held her breath as the Jay at the Slammer's door inspected them from head to toe with the scanner device, reminding her of the procedure she and Jennie underwent at the Kims residence, and what came after. 

She forced herself to breathe, not only to banish away memories but also to keep herself calm as she watched the Jays check the passcode Hani handed them. The mask they were both wearing—a geometric 3D printed masterpiece that fit snugly on their head with ample space to even stuff their hair inside—was a safe barrier for Rosé to hide from the Jays' scrutinising gaze.

If the Jays discovered who was hiding underneath the tiger mask, she was certain the night would be over for them before it even started. Hani next to her was relaxed, spreading her arms wide obediently when the second Jay asked to pat her down for concealed weapons or other technological devices.

The hidden blade in her sleeve, identical to Hani's, was hidden between a layer of silver foil that according to Hani would deflect the scanner's signal. Rosé was doubtful and was expecting an imminent order to stop. It never came. The lining of the cloth padded the hard blade as well, artfully concealing it when the Jays patted over her forearms.

"All good." The Jays stepped aside, then gave them directions to their assigned seat.

"You won't miss it, the benches are marked according to your designated animal," the Jay on the left said. "Do you have the programme of events? We suggest no bathroom breaks whilst the showcase is ongoing so as to not disrupt other attendees."

Hani nodded but never spoke a word, and neither did Rosé. The lower halves of their faces were visible, giving them away as female. It already put them at risk of being recognised since according to Hani, there weren't that many female mob bosses. They didn't want to risk attracting extra attention by speaking.

But the Jays never twigged anything was wrong. Rosé let out a sigh of relief once they were out of sight.

"Glad to see someone can keep calm in times of stress."

"Is that a dig at Jennie?" Rosé asked indignantly. Hani's mouth quirked up then turned away to lead them to the main atrium where Rosé remembered the fighting arena was at.  

When they entered the arena properly, which was bathed in low lights—just bright enough to see where you were walking, but not bright enough to illuminate the shadowy corners—Rosé was struck by the changes. 

The Slammer was achingly familiar, yet at the same time, undeniably different. If Rosé hadn't watched Lisa's matches before, she wouldn't have been able to tell just how much had changed.

"Jinyoung's been busy," was Hani's only comment, strained. Rosé tried to ignore the bubble of apprehension in her gut and looked around, cataloguing the new modifications instead.

There was no large, tumultuous crowd raising the roof; there was no ferocious shouts and violence; there was no bright lights and thunderous applause. 

The boxing ring was gone. The first rows of the seating area were also gone. Walls of what appeared to be solid concrete blocks had been erected, a good deal higher than if two men were to stand on each other's shoulders. This wall enclosed the central area in a circle, reminding Rosé very much of a fighting ring like in the gladiator arenas of ancient Rome. There were even two dark entryways positioned on opposite sides, hollowed out in the walls, leading away into the recesses of the Slammer backrooms. 

Was Lisa somewhere in there, waiting for her fate, alone and scared?

Hang in there a while longer. We're coming baby, Rosé thought, wishing she could communicate with Lisa somehow. She quickly carried on with her observations before she could spiral.

Due to the wall's addition, the seating area had been reduced, but there was no real problem for that. Rosé counted thirteen pairs already in attendance, including herself and Hani, and there was room for at least twenty-five more pairs as well. 

"We can talk, you know. I'll die of boredom otherwise," Hani said, interrupting her train of thought. And indeed, all the other animal  pairs seemed to be engaging in animated conversation, hiding their faces behind their hands, casting furtive glances around them or bumping their heads when they leaned in to whisper.

"Do you recognise anyone?" Rosé said in a low voice.

"I have my guesses. The men can be easier to tell apart because of their hairy chins. And I have no doubt other people have recognised me, but they don't know that I'm not exactly welcome here," Hani said.

"Unless they do know, and they're waiting for the perfect time to pounce," Rosé fretted.

 "I can see why you and Ace get along. Paranoid much?"

"I think you underestimate Jinyoung. If you'd step in our shoes, you might think differently," Rosé said dryly.

"You think you're special because your life has come under threat? Join the club. I could just seal myself in a bunker by now, but that's no life. You got to keep moving, because life certainly will, no matter how much you whine and gripe about your fortune." Hani tapped her knee absently. "God, can't it start already, I need a cigarette real bad."

"You don't even have cigarettes. Or anything to light it up with."

"I'm sure other people could loan me if I ask nicely. I'm too nice to turn down."

"Not the point. You still can't smoke here, there was a clear 'no smoking' sign hanging at the entrance," Rosé admonished.

"That's why I can't wait for this to be all over," Hani drawled.

"We've just sat down."

"Not being able to smoke while waiting has me antsy."

Rosé gave up trying to reason with her. It was easier to negotiate with a stubborn five-year old.

Newcomers gradually joined them, a total of five pairs: Toad, Fox, Bear, Deer, and Hog, the tusks gleaming. Whilst the fuss of their entry died down and they settled in their given seat, Rosé took the time to get a closer look at their fellow attendees.

She could make out a Bull pair, and then another animal with horns that she couldn't make out,  and what looked like a Lion, a Wolf, an Eagle, an Owl, a Rabbit, a Jaguar, a Falcon, a Rat, a Rooster, a Monkey and a Panda. She guessed that there were at least three female mob bosses besides Hani: the Eagle, the Rabbit and the Jaguar. She could only see their lower jaws, which were softer and smoother than most of the men's. 

The seating arrangement was interesting to Rosé. Jinyoung had the animal pairs sit isolated from each other, with at least two car lengths of space all around them. Jays sat squarely in between those spaces, unmasked and still as statues. Jays stood guard at the end of each row. There were also Jays stationed at the exits. 

"Jinyoung is covering the security for all these gangsters," Rosé said, realising that everyone was basically vulnerable to attacks at the snap of a finger. 

All the crime bosses had left behind their security detail and were at Jinyoung's mercy, and in extension, each other's. No doubt there was some animosity brewing between some of the gangsters themselves and to have them sitting in such close proximity to each other was asking for trouble. There was a palpable tension in the room now that Rosé sank in further in her analysis, watching how people seemed tense and shifty, shooting each other furtive glances.

"That's right," Hani said. She alone seemed unconcerned, her posture relaxed, voice a lazy drawl. "I told you we're gonna be in the presence of some pretty important hotshots from the city's underworld. Jinyoung wants to impress and solidify his standing. Maybe he'll get to do that before a brawl breaks out."

"They trust him that much?" Rosé wondered. "He could snipe us. He could blow us up to kingdom come. Seoul would be his for the taking. They're putting their lives in his hand just like that?"

"I have no doubt some of them might have sneaked in a weapon or two, just in case." Hani cocked her head when Rosé stared at her. "We did that, why wouldn't others?" 

Rosé's mouth ran dry as all sorts of disastrous scenarios ran through her head.

"It won't happen," Hani said calmly, cottoning on to her anxieties. "That's why the Jays are there. Crowd control. If anybody wants to risk upstaging and upsetting Jinyoung, I don't think that snake will show much mercy. Need I remind you how upset he was with you two ruining his fun the other night? People will behave, for now. It's just precautions."

"That's why you're not worried about people finding out we're not supposed to be here."

"Yeah because if they do, the Jays will have already gotten to us," Hani said grimly. "But don't worry. If we keep the masks up and don't speak out loud, we'll be fine."

"I hope you're right," Rosé said.

"Look, you got your kid back home. Focus on staying alive for her. And if that's not enough convincing, try this: if you die on my watch, I know Jennie will kill me. Even if she died too, she'll come back from the dead and kill me. So let's both stay alive for my sake at the very least, yeah?" 

Rosé could only blink mutely but Hani sounded deathly serious. 

"Besides, it's not like you're without protection. You got the blade and the smokies," Hani added.

Rosé took comfort in the slightly clunky weight at her heels, where a couple of smoke bombs were carefully packed in the secret compartment of her boots.

"To answer your earlier question about Jinyoung," Hani said thoughtfully, "it's not about trust. They know he needs them, just as much as they need him, in the moment at least. They recognise he's not to be messed with, not unless you can match him in power and resources."

"Surely, someone out there can match him then?"

"Yang was one of the more powerful mob bosses," Hani said quietly. "But he joined hands with Jinyoung and perished, in the name of his vendetta. Now Jinyoung seized all his assets. It was the nail in the coffin. I don't think anyone can match him now, no."

It was strange to remember that she had been the one to end Yang Hyun-suk's life—he barely even featured in her waking thoughts any longer. She hadn't even dreamed of him once. He simply ceased to exist. Rosé clasped her hands together, the hands that had held the gun steady and fired without a shred of remorse. He hadn't deserved her pity and he wasn't about to earn it now. 

But she did wonder how all this mess would have turned out if Yang was still alive and in power.

"Remember what I say about all this, a tight-rope balance act?" Hani said thoughtfully. "We're like cowboys at a standoff, watching each other, waiting to shoot. Jinyoung wants our approval, to submit to him. In return, people expect him to share his breakthrough."

"Tiger King," Rosé said bitterly.

"They want a finger in this pie badly. Tiger King means power. So for now, they won't attack. They don't want wars, wars hurt all of us and our businesses. And nobody is powerful enough to be top dog, yet. We're trying diplomatic niceties first. So, here we are."

"What if they all banded up against Jinyoung? Like what you're doing? Why not get everyone on board?"

"Too late for that. Some of the people here are the biggest suck-ups." Hani's mouth pressed into a thin line. "There had been...very early talks, before this whole Tiger King situation even started. He had already been snatching smaller territories and consolidating his power, but I think nobody realised the level of threat he'd present, until it was too late."

"So now...?"

"So now, there's nothing except playing the game he's lording over," Hani said grimly.

That wasn't a very comforting thought. To have someone as ruthless and fiercely indomitable as Hani express her misgivings about defeating Jinyoung didn't inspire any hope in Rosé.

"How long till it starts?"

"Five minutes," Hani said, glancing at her watch.

Rosé bit her lip, debating if there was enough time to check in with Jennie. 

She was going to be the main point of contact for the trio, though Hani had her own earpiece as well. But Hani and Jennie had come to an agreement that the mob boss would take a backseat and let Rosé handle communications. To Rosé, it was a relief they made that agreement, because she feared Hani and Jennie would inevitably butt heads over something during the course of the operation and give themselves away. Especially under the Jays' watchful gaze, it was crucial that she and Hani kept it cool. 

"If you're thinking of talking with her, I'd advise against it. Let them stay focused on their task, they can't afford to lose time," Hani said, perceptive enough to pick up on her internal debate. "They'll be in contact themselves soon enough."

Rosé opened the programme of events. She scoured the page even though she knew it blindfolded. They had pored over it during planning meetings, figuring out the best slot to sneak in, snatch Lisa and run. Hani and Rosé were set to deploy the smoke bombs should the Jays need a distraction to keep them occupied. 

The words on the page in front of her melted and swirled, utterly incomprehensible as her mind wandered to the terrible outcomes Jennie could face if she was caught—

Focus, she coached herself. Jennie is tough. She's with the twins. She'll be okay.

Their best bet was to infiltrate once the showcase started, when Jinyoung would be separate from Lisa. They were banking on the fact that Jinyoung would rely on theatrics and drama to introduce Tiger King, thereby allowing them a short slot of time to locate Lisa and snatch her before she's brought out to be presented to the audience.

"Jinyoung will probably monologue for fucking ever. That's when you move in," Hani had said. "It all hinges on your knowledge of  getting around the Slammer, Ace. Make use of it."

"No pressure," Jennie muttered.

"It's starting," Hani drawled, breaking Rosé out of her thoughts as lights dimmed.

A hush fell on the audience. Rosé could just barely make out silhouettes of the animal masks now. All attention turned to a powerful spotlight illuminating the central enclosed circle in the arena below them. The ground was hard concrete with remnants of dust from construction debris still creating dust motes floating in the spotlight.

There was no introductory fanfare. Whispers broke out as a figure in a suit and tie briskly walked out of the right tunnel and into the centre, stepping into the bright ring of light. 

Rosé's mouth dropped open because the man smiling brightly up at his shadowy audience was not Jinyoung: he was blonde and had a slit eyebrow.

"Hello friends of Jinyoung!" Bang Chan warbled enthusiastically, "I'm Bang Chan, an associate of Park Jinyoung." He bowed deeply as his voice echoed around the arena, revved up for public proclamation like a circus impresario giving a grand show. "I'm so honoured you could indulge us with your presence tonight for our, or should I say, Jinyoung's showcase. He asked me to step in for him but he will join us shortly."

"Son of a bitch, that snake," Hani hissed as the low hum of mutters and murmurs broke out around them.

"You think it's on purpose?" Rosé asked, heart thudding in her chest.

"Has he chickened out?" someone boomed across from Rosé, loud enough for his voice to carry. The commotion seemed to be incited by the Bull, a bulky, double-chinned man who seemed ill-fitted in his suit. "I knew he'd back out at the eleventh hour. This is all smokes and mirrors. We're wasting our time."

The nearest Jay stood up, intimidating the crowd around him, abruptly cutting the hubbub that broke out. The Bull didn't speak again.

Bang Chan didn't balk at the jeers that echoed the Bull's dissent. He calmly turned to face the Bull.

"It seems we have some sceptics amongst us. Jinyoung didn't want to stall the fun just because of some minor technical difficulties. Rest assured, the show will go on. Your presence and precious time will not go to waste."

He spread his arms wide, eyes twinkling. "Ladies and gentleman, let's not beat about the bush. You are all here for one thing and one thing only. You are here for Tiger King."

He paused for dramatic effect, smiling as the silence of a tomb answered him—he had their attention and he knew it as he took them along for the ride, now fully in his element.

"You all have that programme of events, I assume? Eh forget about it! Rip it to shreds, who cares! We're doing this the fun way. If it were up to me, we'd all be drinking! My colleague, Mr Elordi, he was in charge of planning this event, but he's too stuffy for fun the way us Koreans do it here. Now I'm sure you're all curious about what's going on," Chan said and he clapped his hands. "So let's get this show on the road, as we say back in my hometown. The night is young and who knows?"

There was no doubt about it; when he next spoke, Chan turned in Rosé's direction, stopping short of direct eye contact.

"There may even be a few surprises in store," he finished, voice dripping with sinister promise.

Next to Rosé, Hani drew a sharp breath and suddenly went rigid.

"Ha—what is it?" Rosé whispered, almost letting slip Hani's name as dread overtook her.

"We have a problem," Hani said, strained.

>

For once, Jennie was prepared: she knew the Slammer's backrooms like the back of her hand.

She knew the locker rooms, a minute staffroom, storage room, the changing rooms, the showers, the tiny pantry, the even tinier medical room consisting of a tiny cot for emergencies, the common room for fighters to adjourn there either before or after a fight with some vending machines selling last year's snacks, the janitor closets, the referee cubicles, the toilets, a media room where some geek slaved away to record footage of the shows and transmit them online in real time...

Although they had no idea where Jinyoung could possibly keep Lisa, Jennie was confident that they had a real fighting chance. She had the advantage of knowing her way around the Slammer, even before Youngdeuk had obtained detailed plans of the establishment, which helped them hash out further backup plans.

The only real problem was figuring out when Jinyoung would actually need Lisa.

"Getting her hours before the showcase is a gamble. We don't know for sure that she's there. We can't risk alerting Jinyoung with a failed infiltration. He might cancel it altogether," Youngdeuk had argued, to which Hani had agreed. 

The twins and some other Dasoni members had done reconnaissance around the Slammer area in the days leading up to the showcase, taking turns to keep watch even throughout the night.  They had seen plenty of black vans and a strong presence of Jays, but no sign of Jinyoung or Lisa. On the day of the showcase, Youngdon did report back that the Jays were very busy in the morning transporting bulky boxes the size of fridges in through the back of the Slammer. Yet again, there had been no sign of Lisa or Jinyoung.

"Ten minutes till the show begins," Youngdeuk muttered in the seat next to her. "Get ready." Jennie, who had been fiddling with her tattoo, covered her wrist with the sleeve and braced herself for the order to leave. There were two other vans with them that would wait for them to return with Lisa and cover for them in case they're pursued.

Jennie and the twins were already kitted out in black gear, with ski masks to hide their faces. The twins had ropes and handcuffs strapped to the belt at their waist, in the event they needed to subdue Lisa.  All of them had guns, knives and a smoke bomb in case they needed to make a quick exit. Up front, Rosé also had smoke bombs, to create a bigger diversion in case they needed to lure Jays away from the trio.

Jennie frowned, brushing her ear. She could do with hearing the other girl's voice right now, just to ground her and reassure her before she set off to save her sister. Maybe there was time for a quick—

"Move out," Youngdon said as he took the lead. 

Jennie pushed Rosé out of her head. It was show time.

They exited the car together, greeted by the balmy summer night as they walked briskly towards the wired gate that led into the small parking lot. They got over it with each other's help. Jennie's shoulder tweaked a little when she pulled herself up but the pain was dull, like the roll of distant thunder and she could ignore it. TK Beta did its job to deaden the sensation and hurry up the healing process. 

The twins helped her by balancing on top of each other's backs and she shimmied over Youngdeuk's shoulder to get over the other side then jump down and roll. The twins followed. Youngdeuk also unlocked the gate for an easier getaway route once they had Lisa with them. 

The parking lot was empty except for the ominous black Jay vans that reminded Jennie of the Rkive parking lot, all lined up with vans just the same way. It felt like a lifetime ago. They scoured the area, Youngdon leading and carefully peering around corners before signalling for Youngdeuk and Jennie to follow.

They kept to the shadows, even though there was no CCTV to worry about—the Slammer wasn't some top-notch facility with state-of-the-art security systems, despite money pouring in. Its management was shoddy when it came to maintaining the facility, but Jennie wasn't about to complain about the safeguards when the payouts were so generous and the careless management was so helpful to her right now.

The lack of surveillance was what had Jennie hoping they would actually be able to pull off this operation undetected, provided they weren't unlucky enough to run into an army of Jays.

 At the backdoor, Youngdon pulled out some lockpicking tools and got to work on the lock.

"How are we on time?" Jennie asked, voice muffled behind the mask. She felt perspiration drip down the back of her neck.

"Ahead of schedule actually. If Don gets this open in the next minute, we'll have six minutes till it all starts," Youngdeuk said as he checked his watch.

Jennie nodded, keeping her anticipation in check. This was only the easy part. She kept her hands on her gun and her attention on their surroundings. The parking lot was quiet as a graveyard, and the vans looked like coffins themselves, reflecting what little light reached them from the surroundings.

"Easy, easy," Youngdon muttered as he eased the door open. Jennie was thankful it wasn't as creaky.

"Lead the way but stay alert," Youngdon said as he stepped aside so she could walk in. They closed the door behind them then started navigating their way through the dimly lit passageways that reminded Jennie of miner's tunnel lights. These areas were always chilly in winter, separate from the main arena area that house central heating for patrons.

"We'll be passing by the staff latrines first," Jennie recalled, "and after that the pantry and locker rooms."

They advanced briskly but quietly, moving together as a unit. The passages were silent, almost eerily so. Jennie could only hear the low breaths and shuffling steps of her companions. She had never been present in the absence of noise in the backrooms of the Slammer. She had to admit it was starting to unnerve her a little.

Where were the Jays? Was nobody staying in the back to guard Lisa? Were they keeping that quiet while on duty?

"Hey, do you smell that?" Youngdon muttered by her ear, making her jump.

"Hey, can you back up?" Jennie gritted, taking a step away from him. "What smell?"

"Smells like...fresh plaster?" he ventured uncertainly.

"Huh?" 

She had been too focused on any Jays popping up and taking them by surprise to notice anything else. But now that Youngdon pointed it out, the chemical smell of plaster lingered in the air, especially when Jennie stepped closer to the walls. She touched the wall and her fingers came away covered in chalky dust. She frowned.

"Let's keep moving, it's about to start," Youngdeuk said, touching his earpiece. Hani must have contacted him and ordered him to get moving. 

Jennie agreed, dismissing the odd discovery with a shrug as she turned back towards the passage. Right now, they had bigger things to worry about than the Slammer's summer renovation projects. Hani seemed to be keeping her word of not interfering with Jennie for now but she didn't want to invite her comments so she forged on.

They advanced forward until they came to a corner. Youngdon went ahead to check for Jays, peering carefully around the corner then signalling the others to join him as he rounded the bend. Jennie once more took the lead, trotting ahead of the twins.

"Okay next up is the common room for the fighters," she said in a low voice, "that's where fighters usually just lounge around till it's time...to...fight..."

She stopped stock still as a cold chill stole over her.

"Jen?" Youngdon asked warily. "Did you hear something?"

"No," she gritted, eyes darting in their sockets as she glanced left and right. Her heart pushed up her throat. "The common room isn't here."

"Huh?"

"What?"

She heard them fumble with the building floor plan to confirm but she didn't have to look to know that something was very, very wrong. 

"The plaster we saw back there...they renovated the entire place. All the rooms are gone. They changed everything, do you understand? The floor plan is useless. My memory is useless," she hissed, clenching her fist as anger mounted. "Jinyoung did this."

"But why would he do that?"

She couldn't tell which of the twins started talking, her mind was swirling with panic and rage.

"I gotta tell Rosie," she said faintly, reaching up to ear to connect with her. "I gotta—"

One of the twins gave an abrupt yelp, snapping her out of her stupor.

Before she could whip around, a dart of pain pricked her arm, piercing through her tight black shirt. Jennie held her arm up, seething when she spotted a familiar dart embedded in her flesh.

"Son of a—"

Darkness claimed her just as she hit the ground and dimly, she heard Jinyoung's distant laughter echo.

>

"Oh never mind, false alarm," Hani said, relaxing. Rosé stared at her, bewildered by the sudden switch.

"Are they in danger or not?" she demanded. "Jennie hasn't contacted me. Neither the twins."

Something wasn't right but she couldn't check in with Jennie, not without tapping on the earpiece to switch it on, possibly raising suspicion with her gestures. Unless she could risk making it look natural enough...

"They're fine, Youngdeuk said they had a brief altercation but they subdued the Jay, it was a lone guy," Hani reassured. She glanced at Rosé. "I may have agreed to not talk with Jennie, but doesn't mean I can't talk with the twins. They're keeping me updated."

Rosé released a breath, dropping her shoulders. "Okay. Don't scare me like that."

She frowned down at Chan. "Something's still not right. Jinyoung isn't here. Is he really having technical difficulties or was that some excuse?"

"These things happen at events you know. You try to organise something of this scale to impress and something will always go wrong. Just look at our own operation at Burning Sun the other night," Hani said sagely. 

But Rosé wasn't buying her reassurance. Hani might have been reluctant to admit, but Rosé could read the tension behind her words: she was worried too.

Bang Chan still stood in the centre, gleefully keeping up a patter.

"Tiger King is the star of the show, but first, we shall give you a little taster of what each of you stands to gain from allying with Jinyoung." Chan's eyes glinted. "Each of you is here for a reason, with all sorts of motives and agendas. Is Tiger King really real? Can I have my own Tiger King? How does it work? You are all wondering if Jinyoung has truly discovered the solution to all your problems, and whether he'd be generous enough to share."

Chan smiled slyly, his slit eyebrow raising slightly. "Of course he will share, abiding by certain conditions, naturally. We are all business people after all. But enough talk. By the end of the night you will have your answers, and you will see that truth is, as they say, stranger than fiction. Tiger King will be a mystery no more as you will witness with your own eyes the impossible made possible."

With that closing note, he turned around about himself as though seeing his surroundings for the first time. "You know what I'm thinking? I'm thinking this place is perfect for a good, old-fashioned brawl. Let the fighting begin!"

Enthusiastic roars of agreement did the rounds, reflecting a contagious energy that swept everyone up with sudden fervour, their initial misgivings all but forgotten as excitement mounted.

But Rosé's heart sank as several Jays emerged from the tunnels in a file, leading in several hulking figures in shackles and chains.

All of them had piercing yellow eyes.

>

"Wake her up."

A sharp clap next to her ear had Jennie jolting up in shock, struggling for several seconds before she realised three things: a) she was tied fast to a chair, hands bound behind her back  b) Jinyoung was standing in front of her a few paces away and c) the twins were nowhere to be found.

Some Jays were in the room with them. The air reeked of plaster and paint, with a bright flourescent light tube overhead casting harsh shadows on the squad of Jays lining up the wall. Jennie sensed movement behind her and she twisted her head back and forth to see, disoriented.

"Dony, Deukie!"

The blank faces of the Jays and the fact that she seemed to be utterly alone in the centre of the room had her heart thud with fear. 

She turned to face Jinyoung who strolled forward into the light, arms behind his back and a sinister smile stamped on his face.

Jennie swallowed. "If you've hurt them, I swear I'll—I'll..."

"You'll...?" He prompted then gestured at her bound limbs. "I don't think you're in a position to be issuing threats, Jen."

"What do you want?" Jennie said, agitated. "If you're going to kill me, then do it."

Jinyoung chuckled. "Kill you? No, not yet. It's not the time and place for that."

He tilted his head to one side, amusement glinting in his eyes. "Glad you could make it to the show by the way. I could have given you a little tour of the place if you had only asked. What do you think of the renovations? You should see the front, the arena is really spacious now, more suited for...fighting."

Jennie snarled and struggled but was helpless; the rope held tight. 

"Are you going to stand there jib jabbering all night? Spare me the torture and kill me right now."

"Do you have a death wish?" Jinyoung wondered. "You seem awfully eager to die."

"No bozo, I just know that by the end of this you're not going to turn me loose," Jennie said. "Are you?"

"Hmm, that largely depends on whether you co-operate. I don't want trouble with Dasoni."

Jennie took a deep breath. "Look, I'll do anything you want, just show me the twins and let them go."

"I wouldn't go throwing about rash promises," Jinyoung advised. "The last time your promised anything, you gave away your own sister."

Jennie bit back a curse. "Show me the twins. Or I swear—"

"Save your empty threats. The twins aren't here, but rest assured they're not being harmed."

"Right, and the Buddha is my cousin," Jennie snorted.

Jinyoung shrugged. "Jennie, if I hurt you or the twins, the Dasoni bitch wouldn't be happy with me." His smirk said otherwise. Jennie didn't believe for one second that he wouldn't step over the line and taunt Hani by torturing her prime henchmen. He held all the power, that was obvious for all to see. If a war broke out, Hani would be the one to suffer losses.

"Also, be reasonable. If I let the twins go, they would alert Dasoni and she could potentially ruin my show. We can't have that," Jinyoung added.

"Are you still salty about the car, is that it?" Jennie blustered, desperately stalling and clutching at straws. Whatever torture he had in mind, she had to find a way to dodge it somehow, but her odds were dwindling fast. 

"The Porsche? No, that's water under the bridge. It was a fun show and you managed to spring a surprise, like always." He bared his teeth. "I wonder if you have more in store?"

She kept silent, trying to get her bearings. But the room was bare and dusty, and all of the Jays staring back at her were strangers without a speck of compassion for her. Worse, she distinctly felt the absence of her earpiece, the earring stud that had been fastened to her earlobe gone. She was all alone.

"Jennie, I just want to have a little chat so I hope you'll indulge me. I don't think we have ever gotten to talk properly since that night in Rkive, am I right? And I'm sure you must have some burning questions so better start thinking them." He checked his watch. "I'll try to keep it short—Chan is holding down the fort and rather enjoying it,  but I'd like to make an appearance myself, with Tiger King naturally. I didn't prepare for all this to go waste." 

"Lisa?" Jennie croaked. Her fists tightened uselessly. "Where is she?"

He smirked. "Maybe you'll get to see her later. But first, allow me to introduce you to someone. He's so glad you stopped by today. He has some burning questions for you."

Something was off about the whole proceedings, everything was going too smooth for Jennie's liking, as though Jinyoung had actually slotted time for her. 

But she couldn't quite grasp what was bothering her, other than being helpless at Jinyoung's total mercy.

"Who's he?"  she asked, trying to quash her fear.

"All in due time." Jinyoung nodded at one of the Jays, who peeled away from the shadows and went out the door behind Jinyoung. Several long seconds later, the door opened again and Jinyoung stepped aside, turning to look expectantly at the newcomer.

Jennie stared as the Jay pushed in a gnarled, withered old man— basically a living corpse—with an oxygen mask over his face and a pressurised tank mounted on the back of the wheelchair. The newcomer squinted against the bright light, his beady eyes startlingly sharp and clear despite his evident age. A woolly shawl draped over his lap and covered his legs, even though it was the height of summer. His hand shook as he pulled off the oxygen mask, making Jennie immediately wrinkle her nose at the sight of his leery grin displaying discoloured teeth.

"We meet at last, girl," he croaked. "I have heard so much about you."

"And who the fuck are you?" Jennie said. Jinyoung stepped forward, bottom lip trapped between his teeth in amusement as the old man tutted.

"Jennie, meet my father, Jinyoung Park Sr., the founder of JYP Pharma," he said, standing next to the wheelchair. "Father, this is Jennie Kim."

"She needs no introductions. A feisty spitfire you've caught for yourself." JYP scanned her from head to toe, leaving Jennie feeling very exposed, even though her clothes were untouched. "Quite a pity she's not of pedigree."

"Father, not this again," Jinyoung sighed.

"I'm merely making an observation," the old man drawled. "If it weren't for her history with that damn whistleblower, I might have turned a blind eye."

Jinyoung closed his eyes and heaved a sigh, all the while Jennie sat beyond confused in her seat.

"What whistleblower? What do you want with me?" Jennie said.

"What do I want with you?" JYP rasped, wheezing every other word and taking a puff from his oxygen mask. "I want answers. Most of all, I want closure. I vowed to myself I will keep pushing to stay alive until I have answers." He spread his arms—veiny and bony, with the skin sagging in places. "I am old, and sick. I long lost hope in being able to retrieve Tiger King and revive the program. Then along came my son and against all odds, he has succeeded. I was...impressed."

Jinyoung's mouth twitched at the corner, the beginning of a smug smile.

"We clashed, often. Our models for conducting business were obviously different," JYP confided. "He has his ideas, I have my own. But for a business to flourish, you need to have a united front.  Yet, I was reluctant to let go of my passion project, my Tiger King. I was the Ringmaster, you know, the brains behind it all. It was my life."

"I couldn't care less," Jennie said.

JYP ignored her and droned on. "Pride is difficult to let go of, but hard decisions have to be made. Two tigers cannot share the same mountain. As I said, I am old. I decided to relinquish the reins...if only I would get my answers. And the boy once more stepped up to grant me closure. If he's anything, he's efficient."

JYP lifted a bony trembling finger, pointing at Jennie. "He arranged to have this meeting—"

"He what?" Jennie burst out. She whipped her stupefied gaze to Jinyoung."You knew..."

"Ah, cat's out of the bag," Jinyoung said lightly.

Jennie's head spun. "You...how long..." she whispered.

"Long enough," Jinyoung said.

And the words echoed again in her head, the memory that had slipped from her head like water: "By the way, Ace, Rosé as good as pulled the hood over my eyes with her mask and dye job, I admit that."

Jackson. It had to be Jackson who betrayed them. She never trusted him, not for one second!

 He was nowhere in sight right now, but he had stayed close to Jinyoung, his right hand man Jinyoung called him right in front of her and Rosé. He duped them all. He had been flaky since the start. And he wasn't here because he was torturing the twins, not being able to face Jennie.

That low-life piece of shit.

"You fucking snake, you knew all this time! That's why you let us go at Burning Sun? All that talk of me being scared of you was just hot air!" Jennie burst out.

Jackson had been there too, not even lifting a finger to help Rosé as the perverted Jay made his moves on her friend. The memory made Jennie's blood boil.

"Was it?" Jinyoung's smile just grew wider and wider. "I admit, I only knew that Dasoni's infiltration team would go there to retrieve information from Yang's old dead drop. And I was going to let it happen, because I obviously needed you to come here. But after that run-in with Elordi and the twin...it was all real. 

"I was honestly pissed that my friend's fun was ruined. I didn't recognise Rosé until you came along. The Jays masquerading as the KNP were merely to fan the flames and throw you into panic. The fire sprinklers had nothing to do with you. My Porsche could have sat there all night and been totally unharmed. And you could have pulled the gun's trigger anytime when you were in front of me, Jennie. Yet you didn't. What does that say about you?"

Jennie tossed and stamped her feet, struggling to loosen the ropes to no avail. "Let me out of this, you coward! I'll show you who's scared! Let me go!"

He ignored her. "Oh that reminds me, did you get the photos? Stroke of good luck I was able to get them to you directly."

"You'd know if we got them, wouldn't you?" Jennie spat furiously. "Ask your fucking mole, shithead!" 

The image of tortured Jisoo flashed through her mind, momentarily making her waver. Jackson had promised he hadn't tortured her but look at where they were now. It was all lie after lie after lie.

"How crude," JYP tutted. Jennie didn't spare him a glance; her fury was directed all at Jinyoung.

"Go on then, gloat!" Jennie said. "Bet you're just dying to do that! Bet you got a kick out of your sick games! What else do you know?"

He shrugged. "Try asking."

Her mind raced, going over all the information Jinyoung could possibly have uncovered, all that they prepared. Of course he always was one step ahead: they had a traitor in their midst, passing on crucial information about their next moves.

And oh God, Rosé.  She was still out there, with Hani. She had no idea the grave danger she was in. Jennie's panic doubled. She clamped her mouth shut, refusing to even look Jinyoung in the eye for fear of him somehow reading her face. If he didn't know about Rosé and Hani yet...

"Smart that you're choosing to stay silent," Jinyoung said. "But it won't protect anyone, least of all Rosé and the Dasoni bitch. Yes, I know about them. Wearing tiger masks and midnight blue blazers. Waltzing in through the door as though they own the place." His smile broadened as Jennie looked at him in horror. "What a coincidence that they got the tiger masks, right?"

Jennie tried to stifle her shaking, her mind running haywire. 

How was she going to alert Rosé? How was she going to save her and Hani from the psycho standing in front of her?

"Believe me Jennie, I want to gloat, truly," Jinyoung said, stepping forward and squeezing her shoulder. Jennie recoiled from his touch but his fingers held firm, gripping tightly. "I have so much to gloat about, with you. All my planning is finally bearing fruit. I've worked hard to revive the Tiger King project while juggling so many other things. How could I not gloat? Here's a taster: I was the one to stop V or rather, Taehyung, from penetrating Rosé back in the forest because you failed to get to her in time. I was the one who saved her, not you."

"Shut up you sick bastard! Don't talk about her like that! Shut up shut up shut up!"

Jennie retched at the memory of Rosé sobbing on the forest floor, crumpled into a ball. Guilt threatened to overwhelm her and she shook her head violently to get rid of the memory.

"The subjects wore cameras. Suga, or rather, Yoongi did too. I could monitor everything that was going on." Jinyoung pinched her shoulder harder, forcing her to look directly in his eyes as pain shot up her neck. "I saved your life, Jennie. He was going to snap your neck but I called him off just before he did. A 'thank you' is in order."

"Die, you piece of shit," Jennie gritted out.  

"I could have ended it all there and then. But I didn't. I'm a merciful man. I called them off just before they could hurt both of you worse. You owe me so much. That's just the tip of the iceberg." Jinyoung straightened, smiling serenely at her stupefied expression. "But we'll shelve that chat for now. Let's not keep our elder waiting much longer."

He let the stunned girl go. Jennie slumped in her seat, biting back on curses. Her heart thumped like a runaway horse and she forced herself to breathe, to calm down and face them again. The nightmare was far from over.

Jennie levelled her baleful gaze at JYP. "What do you want with me, old man? I don't know you, I don't have answers for you."

"On the contrary," JYP rasped. "You are the key to the past." He motioned to Jinyoung. "Show her."

Jinyoung nodded at another Jay, who stepped forward with a small bundle in his hands and set it down on the ground in between Jennie and JYP. It consisted of a single folded jacket and a photo on top of it.

Jennie blinked and swallowed hard when Hwangssabu's bright eyes met her gaze, smiling up at her from the piece of paper at her feet. It was the photo she had of him back at the Vault, along with his vintage leather jacket. 

"You...how did you..."

"I own the Vault now, remember? My men found these articles belonging to the previous tenants whilst cleaning out the place. I was hanging on to them for safekeeping but the tenants never showed up to claim them."

Jennie scowled at the smirk in his voice then turned to JYP. "I still don't understand."

"Don't be so obtuse," JYP croaked. "You were Hwangssabu's protege, were you not?"

Jennie's frowned. "You knew him?"

"In a manner of speaking. He was the reason we lost Tiger King." JYP's voice turned harsher. "He was the reason all my life's work went up in flames. Him and that damned doctor."

Marco Bruschweiler, Jennie thought. Her mind raced, trying desperately to connect dots, because she still wasn't understanding. Why was JYP blaming Hwangssabu?

"I...I don't understand."

"Don't you?" JYP mocked. "Wasn't Tiger King left in your care?"

"I...yes."

"Didn't you know Hwangssabu's involvement in tracking down Tiger King when he was still active in the military?"

"Yes, I did. He told me. He never was successful though."

JYP drew a rattling breath. "Then you'll expect me to believe you when you say you didn't know about Hwangssabu's plan to break Tiger King out of the facility and expose it to the public?"

Jennie's mouth dropped. "What? No he didn't! We found Tiger—we found Lisa in the alleys with Dr Marco, he was dead. It was just a very lucky coincidence! Hwangssabu...he didn't...he didn't even know the doctor..."

But hadn't he? Jennie remembered how Hwangssabu hadn't been afraid, or surprised, when they came across Lisa. He had immediately sprung into action and took responsibility of Lisa, no questions asked.

Had Hwangssabu and the doctor been in contact without her knowledge? Had Hwangssabu just played dumb and hid it all from them?

The very thought turned all that Jennie knew upside down on its head.

"What were Hwangssabu's motives?" JYP barked, snapping Jennie out of her thoughts. "Why did he keep Tiger King instead of exposing it?"

Jennie swallowed dryly. "I...I don't know."

"Lying bitch!"

"Father," Jinyoung chastised.

"Get the photo," JYP ordered, ignoring him. His eyes were trained on Jennie like a hawk. "Let's see if she talks then."

Jinyoung obediently took up Hwangssabu's photo, right beneath Jennie's anxious gaze. She sucked in a breath when Jinyoung grasped the fragile photo roughly, creasing it. Her heart crumpled with it too but she resisted the urge to shout at them. They held the upper hand right now.

"I'm going to ask you again," JYP said evenly. "And if you don't answer...there will be consequences."

Jennie shook her head, hands growing clammy when Jinyoung brought out a lighter, flicked it open and held it underneath the photo, facing Jennie. 

Hwangssabu's  warm smile tore her to shreds and she wrenched her gaze away, barely able to face him. Perspiration beaded on her temple as she sat, helpless. She watched as the tongue of fire sat just beneath the photo, out of range. All Jinyoung had to do was raise his arm and...

"Please," Jennie whispered.

"What were Hwangssabu's intentions with Tiger King?" JYP rasped. "Why did he have it train and even go into boxing matches? What was his end goal?"

Hadn't Momo asked the same thing? Hadn't she questioned Hwangssabu's true agenda? Jennie bowed her head, tasting bitter bile.

God, she had been so naive, so stupid, so trusting. She went along with whatever Hwangssabu said was best for Lisa. She was terrified of Lisa, kept her at arm's length as instructed because Lisa could hurt her. Because Lisa wasn't like them. Because Hwangssabu hammered it into her head: kiddo, she's not exactly like us, okay? We have to adjust around her. Stay alert or you could be hurt. You saw how she was punching the bags downstairs.

Why didn't she ever ask? Why did she go along with whatever Hwangssabu said, carrying out his wishes like a faithful dog?

"I don't know," Jennie whispered. "I don't...I don't know."

"Look up, Jennie," Jinyoung ordered. She did. The tongue of fire kissed the edge of the photo, with Jinyoung lightly flaming the paper. Jennie watched as the edges browned, started to curl.

"Stop," Jennie croaked. The photo was the only reminder she had of what Hwangssabu looked like, the only proof that he had been a real person, the only proof that he had been her father in all but name. 

Her father, working long hours to make ends meet. Her father, laughing and joking as they ran together on their morning runs. 

Her father, bantering with her when he gave her piggyback rides. Her father, lying and keeping her at arm's length. 

Her father, smiling and reassuring when one day she returned with shrunken clothes from the laundry with Lisa. 

Her father, never there to protect her when she truly needed him. Her father, giving up the last noodle pot for her, because he said he was full even as his stomach growled.

"Remember anything yet?" Jinyoung prompted. 

"I don't know, okay?" Jennie burst out. "He never told me. I thought he was just being kind, I don't know what he was planning."

The burning smell of paper reached her nose, made her eyes water. From grief or the smoke, she couldn't tell.

"Please, it's going to burn up," she choked. A tear ran down her cheek. "Look, you should have asked Yang when that fucker was still alive, okay? I don't know anything!"

"What about Yang?" Jinyoung said with interest. He flicked off the lighter, instantly making Jennie's fists slacken with relief.

"I...we followed Hwangssabu once...before he died," Jennie whispered. She closed her eyes to relive that terrible night. "I—I saw him talking with Yang. I...I don't know if they had agreed to meet up and what they were talking about. But I think it was about Tiger King—no please!"

Jinyoung had flicked on the lighter again. "Not a satisfactory answer I'm afraid."

"Burn it," JYP drawled.

"No!"

Jinyoung's smile was cruel as he pinched the photo from a corner and held up the lighter at the bottom.  

"Want to know what Hwangssabu's intentions were?" Jinyoung asked.

"How would you know? You're nothing but a liar!"

"Tell me your truth then," Jinyoung urged. "Or is your truth merely what you allow yourself to see to protect yourself? Are Hwangssabu's secrets that far removed from your reality?"

"You're making this out to be more than it is. Hwangssabu just found Lisa and kept her. He cared for her and just didn't let her go," Jennie insisted.

Jinyoung shook his head almost pityingly. "If only it were that simple. Don't take it personally, Jennie. Hwangssabu was a disgraced soldier, socially ostracised because of his dishonourable discharge from the military. He was even set up in exile in Auckland, with his mother, so that he wouldn't try to interfere back on the mainland. He used you to come back to Korea, pretended he was smuggling you in for trafficking. That way, he could pay actual criminals to get him passage for you and himself through the undercover route and get in the way criminals do, undetected, undocumented, unseen."

"Liar!" Jennie shouted in horror. "How could you—that's just bare-faced lies!"

Jinyoung was relentless. "It was a stroke of luck that you needed to return, because Dr Bruschweiler had just made contact with him, starting a correspondence. The doctor wired him money to be able to bring both of you here, with you acting as Hwangssabu's cover. They were going to blow the whistle on the whole Tiger King program and shut it down once the doctor had gotten out. As for Lisa, or rather Tiger King, the doctor's notes implied they made plans to execute the subject after they revealed all to the public, to avoid it from falling back into enemy hands. Hwangssabu was in charge of doing that, because the doctor was too soft."

"No!"

"Killing it was simpler than reversing the programming," Jinyoung said.

"You're lying!" Jennie yelled. "He would never do that! He took care of Lisa! He cared for us, he cared for me, he—"

"He was waiting to sell Lisa to the highest bidder that would help him restore his honour and his name. He was using her. He was merely an opportunist that decided rather than killing something so powerful, he could use it for his own gain. He bid his time and waited." 

Jinyoung shrugged as Jennie shook her head, vehemently denying his words.  "Yang couldn't do that for him so...Hwangssabu just wasn't going to give her up. Yang wasn't happy and Hwangssabu got killed for it. The rest is history."

"Liar! Fucking liar!" But Jennie's eyes stung. She shook her head. "You're lying! That's not true! He wasn't like that!"

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." Jinyoung dropped the photograph to the ground as flames engulfed it whole. There was nothing she could do—just as she had been helpless to save Hwangssabu the first time, she had to watch him die yet again.

Jennie went ballistic, shouting and struggling violently, sobbing without care. The rope chafed her raw skin but the pain was nothing compared to her broken heart.

"Dad!" Jennie screamed, rocking dementedly back and forth in her chair. "No! Hwangssabu, please, no, no...no...Dad..."

The photo disintegrated, Hwangssabu's face vanishing out of existence right under her eyes, eaten up by the cruel greedy flames. Black ashes scattered at her feet, remnants of the man Jennie had once admired and looked up to.

"Dad," Jennie sobbed.

"You still have his jacket," Jinyoung said consolingly. Jennie didn't even have the strength to look up at him. She didn't react when Jinyoung gathered the jacket and walked behind her to slip it around her shoulders in a maliciously wicked act of sympathy.

"There we go," Jinyoung said, his voice bordering sick tenderness. "Feels better already, right?"

The scent of the jacket didn't remotely smell like Hwangssabu but it did have her sister's scent, faint but there. 

Lisa.

Jennie drowned in it, wanting to disappear into its leathery embrace.

"You knew all that about the whistleblower and you didn't tell me?" JYP piped up for the first time, sounding distinctly disgruntled. "Where did you find all that out?"

"Matthew Jeon. Hwangssabu's confidante, and the girls' guardian." Jinyoung smiled and looked at Jennie's stupefied expression. "Matthew Jeon got some handsome compensation in return for allowing me full access of Hwangssabu's secret accounts. They were hoarding a wealth of information and history. Hwangssabu trusted all of his plans and notes with his old military pal for safekeeping. And now that Matthew Jeon has cut you out of his life, he's eager to not be tied to anything incriminating that Hwangssabu had going on. He was all too happy to hand over administrator rights to the accounts when I purchased the Vault from him. He agreed to sell it all to me for a premium price, so long as I never revealed his role in the whole thing."

Jennie's head spun. Matt had sold her and Lisa off so easily, just like that?

"This is all very fresh information uncovered days ago, but I had had a hunch that Hwangssabu must have left trails, must have some sort of storage where he's keeping all his secrets. And I was lucky enough that Mr Jeon was looking to sell the Vault so...here we are. My people worked around the clock to piece together the story."

"What?" Jennie whispered. "Matt...Matthew...he knew?"

"Oh no, he didn't know what Hwangssabu was truly up to. He didn't know about Lisa and Tiger King. Jeon is an honourable man, he didn't pry and he kept Hwangssabu's secret....till now," Jinyoug added nastily. "No, he merely had Hwangssabu's accounts and storage lockers with secret documents set up in his name. There were forged documents for your passage to Korea, old classified military documents digging into Tiger King. There were pages and pages of emails that the doctor and Hwangssabu shared back and forth, all under anonymous encrypted accounts of course. And I'm sure if I kept digging, there would be plenty more in there to add to our story."

Jinyoung clasped his hands together. "Well, I would have brought all those papers along with me for show and tell, but I wasn't intending this conversation to take too long. Let's wrap up, I have a showcase to attend." He tapped his ear, indicating he was being kept updated of the situation in the arena. "Chan is enjoying himself a bit too much, I need to slow him down."

Jennie didn't hear. She was floating outside of her body, all sounds muffled and far away.

It was hard to believe all that Jinyoung was saying but too much was happening all at once and so much of what he said seemed to have a grain of truth in it....

What if she was only refusing to believe because it was Jinyoung telling her what she didn't want to hear?

"I thought we had an agreement, boy. Where's your honour to uphold your word?" JYP huffed. "You agreed to keep me informed yet it seemed like you knew a lot all this time."

"The show was worth it though, wasn't it?" Jinyoung said lightly. "It would have been sweeter still if we got a confirmation out of her, though. Guess she really was kept out of the loop."

Jennie curled up in herself. She wouldn't believe Jinyoung without concrete proof but his poisonous words festered in her mind like infection, spreading doubt, tainting Hwangssabu's memory. There would forever be a stain on his name now, leaving her to wonder what he truly had been hiding for his intentions with Lisa.

And had he really just used Jennie? Had he never truly cared for her? Was it all just for show? 

Fresh tears welled up at the realisation that nobody would be able to answer her now. Jennie suddenly felt incredibly tired. She slumped in her seat under the weight of all the revelations, giving up on making sense of it all.

"You're too smitten with your toy," Jinyoung's father sneered. "You were waiting on an excuse to see her again, admit it."

Jinyoung sighed. His voice was tight when he next spoke. "Please escort my father back to his hospital room. Keep an eye on Jennie till I return—"

"I won't be dismissed so easily!" JYP barked, wheezing in between words as he got more worked up. "Back off! Don't touch me! You insolent boy! We had an agreement, and you went behind my back. All to see her again. I warned you, she will be your undoing if you're not careful."

With great strength, Jennie raised her head at the commotion. The Jays crowded around them, conflicted as Jinyoung and JYP squared off.

"That's funny. I distinctly remember you saying you'd turn a blind eye if I were to choose her as my partner," Jinyoung said coldly. 

"That's before I realised the dangerous hold she has on you. I was intrigued, but now, I've come to understand she poses a significant threat to our work. You gave me your word that you could concentrate on the Tiger King program. I went along with your word but clearly, you can turn on me, on anything, at the drop of a hat, for her. She is your priority now. You'll go behind your own father's back for a common street whore," JYP retorted. 

"It's my business whether she's my priority or not," Jinyoung shot back, sharp and angry. His jaw worked, a vein jutting at his temple. Jennie stared at the two men fighting over her. If she wasn't so exhausted, she'd be laughing.

For an old man on Death's door, JYP's fire had not yet gone out. Jennie sat in the awkward silence along with the other Jays as father and son glared. Sourness twisted in Jennie's stomach, slowly morphing into dread.

"You went back on a deal with your own flesh and blood. You chose a common whore over me. You chose her over your word to your own father." JYP huffed resentfully. "And then you question me why I lament the future of my  estate, my  legacy? It will all come crashing down before you know it.

"You are done, old man. I don't have to answer to you," Jinyoung snarled, startling Jennie at the barely suppressed rage in his voice, "forget about your legacy. It's my turn now. You're a footnote in the history book. But I? I will be the fucking book."

A ringing silence fell. 

JYP's eyes narrowed. "I see how it is. But luckily, I had plans of my own."

With surprising agility, JYP flicked the blanket off his lap and raised a jet-black gun, aimed directly at Jennie's heart.

>

Rosé thought she vomited three times in her mouth already. The Jays were keeping a close watch as she desperately feigned normality, sweaty and faint.

The sickening spectacle below was nothing short of a bloodbath, like something out of a slasher movie where the director is very enthusiastic about gore and innards, with blood gushing and splashing everywhere, complete with torn limbs scattered around the arena. 

Bang Chan had said the TK subjects would fight to the death, and that was exactly what was going on.

She had seen pictures of brutal combat and documentaries about gladiator fights. Hell, Lisa was involved in this kind of fighting too, in PFB. But the level of senseless savagery was insane, more than she could take. It reminded her of her own brushes with violence, how much it had taken from her.

And the worst part of the whole situation was that the audience were loving it. They clamoured for more as the stench of blood made Rosé gag every time she forgot to breathe through her mouth.

"Steady, Rosé," Hani muttered, "just four fighters to go." Her hand was clamped on Rosé's thigh, gripping firmly enough for her nails to dig grooves in the skin beneath the fabric. She didn't seem to be suffering as much as Rosé, but her stiff posture let Rosé know she was far from comfortable.

Rosé didn't push her hand away—the pain kept her from passing out. When she closed her eyes, it only helped somewhat. She could still hear the dreadful, throaty roars, the shrieks, the horrid sound of bones snapping and cracking, the vile cheering of the crowd, and Bang Chan's hoarse voice shouting from the safety of his own seat up on a balcony overlooking the ring.

"How can they just sit there and...and like it?" Rosé whispered. The raucous spectators opposite her cheered for the remaining fighters still savagely tearing into each other down below. Rosé could only close her eyes and breathe shallowly, trying hard not to picture Lisa in that exact position.

"Because they're all hardened criminals. They know what they signed up for. This is what they want to have," Hani said. "They're probably wetting their pants thinking of how their enemies will go down."

But Rosé shook her head, her tolerance reaching a breaking point. If this was going to be Lisa's fate, she wouldn't be able to just sit and take it. She hoped and hoped that Jennie and the twins were close to finding Lisa. She wouldn't relax until she knew that Jennie and Lisa were safe and sound.

"What's the status with Jennie?"

"Still looking," was the terse reply.

As though on cue, Rosé heard weird feedback crackling in her earpiece and almost lifted her hand to her ear when it abruptly cleared.

"Thorn?" someone said. It wasn't Jennie or the twins.

Rosé stifled a gasp. "Jackson?" she said quietly. Next to her, Hani's grip tightened momentarily.

"We need to meet, I have something important to give you, for Hani. It's...it will be quicker if I show you. Can you come to the bathrooms?"  he said urgently.

She glanced at Hani. Her mask made her face impossible to read. She couldn't tell if Jackson had hijacked Hani's feed as well.

"Pretend you're sick," Hani said abruptly, shoving Rosé's head down.

Rosé didn't even think twice. She groaned and dry-heaved loudly, which wasn't all too hard to fake: she was seconds away from vomiting for real. It did the trick of attracting the attention of the nearest Jays over the sound of the shouting and roars of the audience.

"She needs to go," Hani told the Jays as they gathered around, deepening her voice to mask her identity, "she's going to hurl."

>

Everything came to a standstill, seconds stretching into minutes as Jennie stared down the barrel of the gun, her vision tunnelling.

"Sir what do we do? Jinyoung? Sir?" clamoured the Jays. Jinyoung never replied.

JYP cocked the gun, his eyes fixed on Jennie. "Toys are a distraction, Jinyoung. I'm only doing what's best for you in the long run. For your legacy. She's too dangerous, can't you see that? Have you learned nothing?"

Jinyoung didn't answer. JYP's hand trembled a little and he steadied it with the second hand. "I warned you, attachment doesn't help in business. When you mentioned this girl, I thought she would just be a minor fling to keep the stress at bay, or maybe someone more serious, someone to keep you company, staying quiet in the background, to expand the lineage. But she's not staying in the background now, is she?"

He levelled the gun at Jennie, still addressing Jinyoung. "Remember how I took you to watch those cockfights? Remember how the more the animal was provoked, the better it fought back because it grew enraged?"

He motioned at Jennie. "The more you chip away at her, the less she has to lose. You'll turn her into a fiend that is unstoppable. The less she has to lose, the more you do. You need to be rid of her before it's too late. You're already pushing it."

He licked his rubbery lips, his wrinkled sagging face set. Jennie cast a glance at Jinyoung and found him still frozen, his lips parted as he watched his father.

Nobody moved, as though the room was holding its breath, its very last.

Jennie's mouth stretched in a bittersweet smile. At least, there had been someone capable of stopping Jinyoung dead in his tracks, even though it was at the expense of her life. It was ironic but if this was the last thing she got to witness before she left the world, Jennie was strangely at peace.

But she hadn't gotten to tell Jisoo she loved her. She hadn't gotten to see her again.

And suddenly, Jennie realised she couldn't die yet.

Not yet. Not yet. She had to stall. There had to be a way.

"Wait!" Jennie blurted out. "Please wait!"

"Hold your tongue, slut," JYP rasped. "You're only good for a cocksleeve! The Park legacy will not be tainted because of a low-life whore."

"Excuse you!" Jennie fired back hotly. "Don't try to be so high and mighty with me! You're worse than dogshit! Just a common zainichi."

"What did you say?" JYP whispered. Even Jinyoung whirled around, genuine shock on his face.

"I said you're disgusting second-rate low-life scum," Jennie spat with venom. "You're not a full-blooded Korean, shithead. You wish you were, but you never ever will be, no matter how much money you have." Her lips peeled back in a dreadful smile. "Guess that places a low-life whore like me higher up the ladder, don't you think?"

JYP's eyes had opened so wide that she could see the whites of his eyeballs. Deathly silence blanketed the room. Jinyoung still stared at Jennie, speechless. She barged on.

"You're not the only one doing the digging on other people's backgrounds," she revealed with a triumphant smile. "So before you come around insulting me, take a good look at yourself."

"Enough!" JYP bellowed. The gun shook in his hand.

"What, didn't your precious Jays know? Didn't your own son know?" she mocked. Jinyoung probably did know, but it was more the shock that she herself was aware that had him astonished. He was looking at her now, a strange glint in his eye, observing her like he was seeing her for the first time.

But Jennie ignored him; her target was JYP, still aiming the gun at her chest.

Jisoo, I'm not dying until I see you again. I promise.

Jennie couldn't have cared less if the old fart was from Mars, but her hunch that his obsession with legacy and purity would be a sore point to target proved true; it was rooted in the fact that JYP was the son of a Korean woman and a Japanese soldier, conceived in the era of the Japanese occupation. For someone race-obsessed as JYP seemed to be, this heritage was a humiliating burden to carry.

 She was glad she had paid attention when Hani was going over their trove of information on the Park lineage—it gave her ammunition to stall for time.

JYP's face contorted as he seethed, thrown off as much as the rest of the room was by the sudden revelation. 

"Don't you dare look down on me," he spat. His eyes grew haunted. "You youngsters think you've seen it all, but you have no clue the struggle I went through just to gain respect from fellow countrymen. My mother was a comfort woman, a sexual slave with nothing to her name. Hell knows who my depraved fath—sperm donor —was. You girl, you don't get to throw around that—that word— like it's nothing to you."

A tortured expression crossed his face. "I've fought to gain respect. I've fought to be on equal ground. I've worked for the glory of this magnificent country. I studied hard to be able to avenge our country. I did my time in the military, serving proudly. Can you imagine my outrage when we rolled over for the Americans to settle here, like lazy lapdogs? What are you staring at, don't you know all this?" JYP said, spittle flying. 

Jennie eyed the gun warily but decided to go with the truth. "Uh...history isn't my strong suit," she mumbled, wincing when JYP threw his hands up in exasperation.

"What has the world come to?" JYP cried. "You don't know the history of your own country? Disgraceful!"

"Yeah well, not all of us got the best education," Jennie fired back. "And guess what? We all got traumas. You ain't special. Some of us don't turn out to be psychopathic child murderers, in spite of what we've been through."

"Child murderer? You call me a child murderer? You don't know how the Japanese did worse! Look up unit 731 in the world war! How do you think we know so much about the effects of frostbite and venereal diseases? How do you think we know so much about the effects of blood loss? They were slaughtering infants like savages! They raped and murdered entire villages! They killed people for the thrill of it! Don't you dare  compare me to them,  I have nothing to do with them," JYP spat. 

He broke down into coughs, angrily jamming his mask on his face until his breath steadied.

"I don't care. You're still sick to me," Jennie said relentlessly.

"You don't understand sacrifices have to be made for science to progress, for justice to win and our past to be avenged," JYP said fervently when he recovered. "You think I wanted to hurt children? My life was devoted to science. I wanted my home country to advance. We were a third world country while everyone else trampled over us! I wanted us to be free of wars. I wanted us to be feared and submitted to. I wanted us to hold the power. Sacrifices have to be made for that."

"Spare me the patriotic drivel," Jennie snorted. "You don't get to talk about sacrifices to me. I'm supposed to be proud that you used hundreds of innocent children for your sick experiments, all for what? To make us strong or something? And not to mention, those kids were all non-Koreans weren't they? No precious Korean blood must go to waste for your experiments, right? So you're racist as well, on top of everything. A real treasure you are, you and your son."

"You don't get it!" JYP screamed. "You sit there judging me and you don't even know the horrors this country has gone through! The civil war, the dictatorship, the Japanese occupation! Do you even know when Liberation Day is? Or Memorial Day? You're just an ungrateful ignorant bitch!"

"Father, enough," Jinyoung said, breaking out of his stupor and reaching for the gun. JYP swung the gun on him, his eyes wild.

"Tell her why I made Tiger King," he gritted out. "The bitch won't listen. She won't understand!"

Jinyoung closed his eyes and gave a long-suffering sigh. Abruptly, he turned to Jennie, clearly eager to get rid of his father as quickly as possible. 

"Father was initially looking into ways to enhance the physical body, to help advance the Korean race as a whole, make us the new world power using the country's best asset: its own people. But after my older brother Jaebum succumbed to a strange disease that turned out to be hereditary, Father pivoted towards a cure. He didn't abandon the original research entirely but...you could say it gave him the basic foundations for his greatest breakthrough."

"I created Tiger King," JYP rasped, "I created the original TK serum to create my superhumans. The possibilities were limitless. But our options to research were limited at first. We needed money for research and resources, so we loaned out Tiger King as an assassin and it performed perfectly, earning us the income we needed. But before we could truly study the benefits it could have for medicine, how to properly adjust and adapt the serum to each individual's biochemistry..." 

JYP's hold on the gun tightened. "My greatest contribution to science, the fruit of my labour, stolen and ruined. Do you know the kind of rage that turns you blind with fury?"

"Do I look like I care?" Jennie said recklessly. She knew she was playing with fire but she couldn't help but snap back, provoking JYP. Maybe if she got him mad enough, he might die from a heart attack. He looked frail enough for that.

"Ungrateful bitch! Even mere people on the street like you can benefit from this," JYP hissed. "Junior wants to expand on its scope and bring it to commoners like yourself, so everyone can enhance themselves. We'd be a nation of unstoppable, superhuman—"

"I'll pass," Jennie said coldly. "I wouldn't touch your stupid TK even if I was dying."

"Then die!" JYP screamed.

Jennie shut her eyes as the gun fired, splitting her eardrums with the loud crack that echoed like thunder. 

No bullet hit her, no sudden force tore through her. As seconds passed, Jennie released her breath, heaving from shock. But nothing hurt beyond her sore wrists. Had she died that quickly?

The only sounds she could hear was short shallow breaths of shock from the crowd of Jays surrounding them.

Jennie opened her eyes, jaw dropping open at the scene.

JYP slumped in his wheelchair, head dropped back with his mouth hanging agape. His gun was in his lap next to the oxygen mask. Jinyoung stood over him, pointing a gun at his father, his jaw taut. 

There was nothing but cold, clinical resignation on his face.

Jennie blinked, mind racing. She tried to form words but no sound emerged.

Wordlessly, Jinyoung whipped around and marched to Jennie. He crouched in front of her and gripped her jaw.

"Are you hurt?" he demanded roughly, twisting her face this way and that. She struggled and snapped at his hand but he held her firm, checking carefully until he was satisfied and stood back up, releasing her. His face was black as thunder as he turned to address the Jays.

"Turn off the oxygen. Take his body to his residence," he said quietly, "I'll deal with him later. The rest of you, attend to Chan."

They filed out, leaving Jinyoung and Jennie alone. She squirmed in her seat, unnerved by the sudden turn of events.

"You...you killed him..." she whispered into the deathly silence.

"I did." He turned to look at her. His eyes flashed oil black in the light, with no sign of remorse reflected in his hard gaze.

"You could have blown us up," Jennie said, her mouth dry. She didn't understand the proper mechanics, but she knew oxygen and a spark that happened to be a smidge too close could have spelled a disastrous explosion.

"I know. I was far enough."

"Why?" she whispered, unable to frame the whole question. Her mind was still scrambling to catch up.

"He doesn't get to kill you," Jinyoung said darkly. He crouched in front of her again. "He has taken away too many things from me. He doesn't get to take you. I say when you die."

Jennie's nose wrinkled in disgust. "I'm not some possession of yours. What the fuck is your deal with me?"

She held her breath when his hand gripped her jaw, hard.

"I've watched you for a long time," Jinyoung said quietly. "When I came to the Slammer, I noticed you. Always in the shadow of your louder sister who easily stole the show. You were always the overlooked one, weren't you, Jen? Even with Hwangssabu."

"Shut up! You don't know shit about us!"

"I can tell you're someone like me on a fundamental level. Like calls to like. We're more similar than what you think."

"Shut up!"

"You say that because you can feel it and you want to deny it."

He sounded wistful as his repulsive thumb stroked her cheek. Jennie desperately tried to ignore his touch to focus on his words before she hurled.

"I felt a kinship to you right away. I knew how it felt to be the underdog, to always be overlooked, forgotten. I know how it feels to have your efforts constantly ignored, undermined. My father doted on Jaebum, his true heir. I was the illegitimate bastard in the household, the second option to carry the flame upon my brother's demise. Doesn't that sound like your situation with Lisa and Hwangssabu? Chucked aside once Lisa was there, and then lumped with the enormous responsibility to care for something you didn't even fully understand once Hwangssabu died. Always having to follow someone's commands. Always having to put someone's needs before yours. The more I looked into your background and who you are, the more I could see myself in you."

"I'm going to be sick," Jennie croaked. She was not going to entertain being even remotely similar to the monster in front of her for one second.

"I carry my father's tainted blood." Jinyoung gave a faint smile. "I'm not talking about my Japanese heritage. I too am a carrier of Father's disease. One day, it might get me. But until then, I will always claw my way to the top, as I have done so far. As have you. We're the underdogs of our individual stories."

He let go of Jennie and stood up. "Look at you Jen. You've come so far. You've become the main heroine of your story, fighting for your sister and your girlfriend. How does it feel to be the one in the spotlight now? I made you like this. I sculpted you to reveal your inner strength. I made you come out of your shell. It's in the face of adversity that we find out what we're made of. Honestly, you should probably be thanking me."

Jennie stared, her jaw dropping. "Thank you?" 

She began to laugh. She threw her head back and laughed and laughed at the top of her lungs, terrible mirthless and visceral laughter, the kind of laughter streaked with a touch of insanity, because she was dangerously on the brink of cracking. 

Lisa and Somi would probably call it a Joker laugh. The reminder only made her cry and shriek and laugh as pain mingled with her hysteria.

 It was all wrong—Jisoo should be the one to make her laugh, the girl who helped her live again, not the monster that had taken away her lover.

He stood now, watching her impassively as she laughed her head off, tears mingling.

"You ruined everything!  How dare you?" Jennie gasped. "You took Lisa, you took Jisoo, you killed Somi, Dahyun and Momo. Hell, you killed your own fucking father."

"Didn't I tell you that for you, I'd risk anything?" Jinyoung said quietly, freezing her on the spot. He shook his head. "You never took me seriously, even though I've shown you over and over. I told you before: in another life, we would have ruled together."

"Stop," Jennie said flatly. Her streak of hysteria was replaced with icy calm—death lurked in the shadows, waiting for her. She had run out of time.

She nodded at the gun in Jinyoung's grip. "If you're going to end this, just do it. I'm tired. At the end of the day, you're just screwing with me and when you're tired of your games, you'll kill me. I'm done."

She tilted her heard back, squeezing her eyes shut as tears streamed. Jisoo, I'm sorry. I can't take it any longer. I'm so tired.

Jennie gave a nasty chuckle, broken and humourless. "God, Jinyoung, you don't know how much I fucking hate you. I didn't even get to see Jisoo again."

She heard him approach and quickly snapped her eyes open to find him looming over her, blocking the light. 

He smiled like a devil, his head rimmed with dazzling white light like a halo.

"Darling," Jinyoung drawled, "all you had to do was ask."

>

Rosé managed to lose the Jays, especially after making some horrible vomiting noises. She quickly discovered that the floor plan of the inner rooms within the Slammer had changed drastically, different from the floor plan she memorised. Grimly, she pushed on, hoping to find the bathrooms that Jackson mentioned before the Jays found her again.

Luck was on her side when she saw the fluorescent sign indicating the rest rooms. She ducked into the women's bathrooms, which seemed empty. Urgency made her throw caution to the wind. 

"Jackson?"

He peeped over a stall, relief washing over his face. The comical visual of him probably standing on a toilet to hide nearly pulled a smile from Rosé. She tapped her earpiece to inform Hani. "We made contact."

"Good. I'll have Youngdon pick you up and keep extra watch. Youngdeuk and Jennie can keep on their search," Hani replied curtly. Her voice was definitely bordering strained now. "What's taking so long, I'm not liking this..."

"Thank goodness you're here," Jackson burbled as he hastily barrelled out of the stall. "Quick, before they suspect I'm gone."

He was missing his usual snapback, but he was standing straighter than Rosé remembered, even though he looked just as gaunt and worn. He also wore a jacket that seemed to be several sizes too large for his wiry frame.

"I've been working on this day and night, in secret," Jackson said breathlessly as he rifled in his jacket. "It wasn't easy, there were close calls, and I couldn't keep asking for samples from Lisa's blood but—"

His hand finally pulled free with a rectangular package wrapped in newspaper. It was't unlike the packaging for an iPad's Apple pen. "Don't shake it. I wrapped it up myself but I don't want to risk breaking the contents. Careful! It's fragile."

"What is it?" Rosé whispered. Thankfully, it was quite slim and flat so she could hide it on the inside of her blazer pocket easily, which she did, marvelling at how lightweight it felt.

"TK-Ultra antidote. Two vials in packing chips," Jackson said in a low voice but his eyes burned with feverish energy. Rosé didn't remember seeing him so energised before. "Once you get Lisa back, Hani can have her teams clone this formula, so they can produce the antidote indefinitely. You can have endless supplies of it this way. But get this to her safely first, okay?"

"You got it—"

They froze when the bathroom door swung open noisily. Jackson didn't have time to fall back into the stall, and Rosé didn't have time to grab her tiger mask again. She only had time to curse herself before a man in a ski-mask stepped into the bathroom.

"Oh there you are! Hani sent me," the figure said, taking off the mask to reveal Youngdeuk. Rosé almost breathed out in relief until something clicked.

"I thought she was going to send Youngdon?" Rosé frowned.

"I was closer. We split up to quicken the search." Youngdeuk bit his lip worriedly. "We can't find Lisa. The floor plans don't match up."

"I know where she is," Jackson piped up. "Follow me, but we have to be really careful—"

Youngdeuk raised his gun and fired. Rosé fell back against the counter in horror, covering her mouth to stifle her scream. Jackson gasped and propped himself up, staring down at the hole in his jacket. Blood seeped out in spurts. Youngdeuk had hit true.

"Youngdeuk, what the...what the hell..." Rosé whispered.

Youngdeuk ignored her and knelt down in front of Jackson, who was feebly pressing on his chest wound, trying to staunch the blood. His glassy eyes were quickly losing focus as Youngdeuk held out a phone and pressed a button, speaking into it. "He's here."

"Jackson, if you're getting this, it's the end of the line for you," Jinyoung said coldly, turning Rosé to ice at the sound of his voice. "Father got one thing right—he smelled your betrayal from a mile off. Thank you for your work. Now burn in hell."

"Jin...wait...I..." Jackson said faintly. His skin had gone pallid and sweaty and he gasped for breath. "Jin...young..."

"Put him out of his misery," Jinyoung sneered. "Say hello to your bitch for me, cousin."

Rosé wanted to run but her legs were rooted to the ground as Youngdeuk raised the gun and fired again, this time taking Jackson with a clean shot to the skull. Jackson slumped back, lifeless. Rosé wrenched her gaze away before she could see the light leave his eyes. She heaved over the basin but managed to suppress the urge to puke.

There was more urgent things to address than being sick right now. Self-preservation instincts kicked in as she forced herself to confront the traitor. Her heart thundered as Youngdeuk turned towards her, his face absolutely impassive. He was blocking her exit, hemming her in.

"You...how could you?" Rosé choked out. She flung her arm out. "Don't touch me! Don't move! I'll tell Hani!"

"Go ahead," he drawled, almost bored. 

Rosé didn't take her eyes off Youngdeuk or the gun trained on her as she fumbled with her earpiece, shaking so badly that she scratched her earlobe several times before finally pressing the earpiece to connect to Hani.

Her heart tumbled to her feet when the unmistakable sound of dead air greeted her, just like back in Burning Sun.

"It was you back then too," Rosé whispered, watching the smirk form on his face, "you were in charge of the communications, you could override and switch them off easily, and claim they were damaged."

"Better late than never," he quipped. "Figured Hani might sniff me out but thankfully, she's too preoccupied. You didn't wise up to what I was doing either so...sucks to be you."

Rosé gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, feeling rage building up. "How long have you been working with that scum? Is Youngdon in on this too? How could you?"

"Not important. What's more important is..." he nodded at Jackson's corpse, strewn between them. "What did he give you?"

Rosé stifled the reflex to clutch the precious antidote. It would give away the hiding place within her blazer and encourage Youngdeuk to make a move on her. She had to be careful.

"Not your business. Why, will you shoot me now?" she asked, her voice quavering. 

"Not unless you give me reason to. Come on, we can figure this out, sweets, don't be so dramatic."

"How dare you!"

Her mind screamed danger but she remembered something important: the knife in her sleeve. She could fight back and escape Youngdeuk to raise the alarm. Her resolve hardened. One way or another, she was going to get out and find Jennie before it was too late. If Youngdon betrayed them too, he might have already hauled Jennie to Jinyoung. 

Cold sweat broke out on her brow when she finally understood why communication had been dead all this time: the twins (or at least, Youngdeuk) had been blocking them and Jennie had been at their mercy.

"How could you betray Hani? How could you turn your back on us? Where's Jennie now?" Rosé said, surreptitiously sliding her hands behind her back to slide out the blade. "What did Jinyoung promise you? And your brother...are you working together? God, when Hani finds out—"

He chuckled then stepped forward, all traces of mirth vanishing. "Let's make sure that bitch doesn't find out."

He lunged. Rosé swung her arm, revealing her blade in the nick of time. She slashed the air in an arc.

Youngdeuk screamed as her knife sliced right through the ridge of his nose, making him stumble back and cover his face, clearing the way out to freedom. 

Rosé raced out of the door with heart in her throat and didn't look back.

***********

bombshells dropping left and right :P thoughts?