ғᴏᴜʀᴛʏ ᴇɪɢʜᴛ
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Hoseok hugged his aunt one last time. He took the couple seconds he had left, to appreciate the chance he was given to live. She pulled away, and rubbed his cheek.
"I'll be okay."
A tear slipped from her eye, and Hoseok's face went pale.
"But know, if I don't come back, it's to save my people."
She nodded, letting go of his sweating hand. He grabbed his shoulder bag, and walked out the doors to the restaurant. He was now surrounded by a sandy path.
» » »
"We need to move South."
I grabbed his arm, slightly pulling him back.
"We need to wait for Jungkook."
His eyes grew angry. "El, we have no time."
"Please."
"I'm sorry."
When Jimin made his decision, it was final. You couldn't pay him enough to back out. I silently followed him through the trees.
"What's the point?"
He slightly turned his head. "Point of what?"
"The point of hiding. They're going to find us anyways."
He shook his head, and continued to walk. "They won't find us."
"Okay, let's say they don't find us. Then we will have to live our lives in a jungle?"
He abruptly turned, halting me to a stop. "I'm doing this for you. I'm saving your life. The least you could say is thank you."
I narrowed my eyes. "They're out to kill you Jimin. You, not me."
"Yeah, and how are they gonna get to me? They're gonna use my most prized possessions, so you'd be dead anyways."
"I was surviving just fine without you."
He scoffed. "Oh cmon El. You almost gave our spot away trying to build a fire."
I clenched my fists. "At least I'm not leaving our people behind to die."
He turned and chuckled, before facing me again. "They're not my damn people."
I took a step back, and got a good look at him. "Then you're a coward."
» » »
"Move out."
Jin and Valentina watched as Mr Shaw ordered his people out. His people.
He turned around once more, chuckling at Jin.
"It's over, I won."
Jin nodded. "You did indeed."
"It had to come to this. There has to be new rules. The rebels get their punishment."
"Aren't you rebelling Sir."
He raised a brow, grabbing a stool to sit on. "How so?"
"By sabotaging minors and taking them away from their paren-"
Jin put his hand out. "Thank you Valentina, I've got this."
"Would you call yourself the good guy?"
He took a deep breath in, slightly pausing. "Of course. I'm here to help these kids."
"Do you think what you did to Lisa was moral? What about Tan?"
He slammed his hand to the table. "He was a monster. He had to be killed."
Jin stood as well, his jaw clenching as he yelled. "He knew. H-he knew. He was protected his people from us."
"He was a killer."
"And we're the monsters."
» » »
Hoseok lifted himself from the cold water. His first location was the laboratory. He walked through the woods, luckily avoiding all creatures. He pushed the buzzer.
Name
"Jung Hoseok."
I'm sorry, the scientist won't be seeing anyone today.
"Then why'd you ask for my name?"
The intercom shutdown, and the door made a click sound. He pushed it open and crept his way in. A hand immediately covered his mouth, pulling him into the closest door.
His breaths were staggered once the hand was removed.
"Who the hell are you?"
The man tried to catch his breath, holding out his hand.
"Riley."
Hoseok reached his hand out. "Why are you helping me?"
"I know your friend. He's a good guy."
"Jimin?"
"Yeah. I heard he's in trouble-"
"From who?"
He chuckled. "Valentina. She knew you'd be coming, so she told me to send you to the village."
"I don't have time for small talk. I need to get there now."
He put his hand up. "No problem, we'll leave as soon as we get the subway."
His eyes went wide. "I thought the subway was death trap?"
Riley wrapped his hands, and smirked. "It is if we let it be."
"Here."
Hoseok caught the ax thrown at him. "What's this for?"
"You'll know why when we get there."
He didn't trust his smug look. The look of a tricky man, who thinks he knows everything. But he decided to listen to him, only to save his friend.
"Let's go. We have a lot of ground to cover."
» » »
I sat on the ground, digging my hand through the soil, then letting it sink through my fingers again. We had an argument, a bad one too. I told him I never wanted to see him, and he left.
He knows I didn't mean it, and I knew he'd be back. When? I don't know exactly, but I was hoping I'd use this time to find Jungkook.
I stood on my feet, rubbing my sore ankles. He had to be far now, since Jimin insisted we move South. I turned myself around, and followed to path we took here.
"Jungkook."
I yelled his name every couple of minutes, but got silence every time. You know what I need, some water.
My hand travelled my shoulders for the bag. Shit, Jimin took the bag with him. There's food and water in there, and I'm fucking screwed.
I quickly stopped when I heard the trees rustling. It could be Jungkook. I dropped the compass in my hand, and ran towards the noise.
The branches scraped my body as I ran past them. The rustling became louder, when I noticed it was footsteps.
Dozens of footsteps.
» » »
Jimin held the map Lisa drew, and tore it in half. "So much for directions."
His eyes grew once he heard the sound of running water. He dropped the bag off his shoulders, and ran to the sound of dropping water.
He smiled for the first time in a while. Seeing water, was like knowing you were going to live just a bit longer. He knelt down and cupped his hand into the water.
He washed his face from all the blood, and dirt surfacing it. It was awfully painful, put that all disappeared when he gulped down the cold liquid.
He dipped his arms into the water, washing away the dry blood from his wounds. He spotted something reflecting from under the soil. A knife lied on the ground, and he quickly grabbed it in his hand.
Jimin gulped as he looked at his reflection in the water. He moved the knife close to him, and grabbed a chunk of his hair. He let his fingers glide through his freshly cut hair, getting all the extra pieces out.
Just as all the strands fell, a gunshot was heard in the distance. He grabbed the knife off the floor, and quickly followed the noise. His heart was beating faster than it ever has.
» » »
"Let her go please." I sank to my knees, watching as the men held the girl hostage.
"Tell is where he is, and we won't kill this one."
A tear slipped from my eye. "You all are monsters."
One of the men chuckled, throwing the girl to the floor. "Her life, or his." He pointed the gun to her head.
"Okay." I put my hands up. "Let her go, I'll tell you."
I walked towards the two men, and looked into the girls eyes. She was scared, but a courageous woman.
I began to point in random directions, telling the man nonsense lies, and he believed all of them.
I reached in my back pocket grabbing a small knife. When I was sure the two men were distracted, I stuck the knife into the closer ones neck.
"Run!"
The girl limped towards the tree, hiding behind it. The man without the gun, tackled me to the floor. I tried to lift the knife to his neck, but he threw it from my hand.
"You think you're so tough princess. It's an honor to watch you die." He grabbed the knife from the floor, and drew his arm back.
I shut my eyes tight when I heard two gun shots. The mans heavy weight fell on top of me. I tried to push his body off, but my muscles were too sore.
"El!"
I couldn't see anything. The noise surrounding me faded away. I prayed for the stinging pain in my leg to disappear as well. My hands were red, shaking as they gripped the knifes handle.
A hand held my head up, and another lightly tugged at the knife. I let out a gut wrenching scream, and he moved his hand away.
"It's okay, we'll get it out quickly okay?"
I could've sworn I heard Riley's voice. Either I was hallucinating, or he was really here. He held the knife, and quickly pulled it from my leg. My voice was aching from the built up screams I tried to hold back.
"El, you're gonna make it."
My eyes shut as I felt two arms carry my body.
» » »
"How many more minutes?"
The man spoke into the machine, waiting to hear an order from Mr Shaw.
"Now."
They stood near their jet, and grabbed a tank of gasoline, spilling it all onto the ground. One of the men struck the match.
"Dropping in three, two, one."
The jet took off, with all the men inside.
» » »
"El stay with me."
I smiled as I heard Hoseok's voice.
"Hoseok stop."
He frowned at Riley. "We need to get her to the village. We have no time to stop."
Riley didn't speak, instead he walked closer to trees, taking a deep breath in.
"What's that smell?"
Hoseok stepped closer, still holding me in his arms. He took in a deep breath from his nose, and let it all out.
"Something's burning."
Riley looked at him with wide eyes. He quickly pushed Hoseok, running behind him.
"You need to run faster or we won't make it."
Hoseok stopped, dropping me into Riley's arms.
"What are you doing?" Riley yelled out to Hoseok, while panting.
"I'm not leaving Jimin behind. You take her."
"I'm not-"
"Take her now."
He nodded, and turned around, continuing to run. Hoseok climbed a tall tree, in need to see what was burning. His breath stopped, and he cupped his hands around his mouth.
"RILEY STOP."
He knew he couldn't here, but continued to yell as loud as he could.
"RILEY YOU'RE RUNNING TO THE FIRE."
He noticed something else. The flames were rising from the other side as well. It was their trap, so we had no where to run to. So we'd have no where to hide.
We were surrounded.
Riley continued to hold me in his arms. My eyes slowly opened as I felt a strange heat on my skin. I looked around and at Riley. The air seemed to be fine, and so was he.
I squinted my eyes further, seeing a ring of orange.
"Riley." I couldn't speak well, so I just pointed.
His eyes went wide. "Shit." He turned the other way, only to see the same flames.
"Th-theres no way out."
I jumped from his arms, and tugged at my hair.
"I need to find Jimin." He quickly grabbed my arm, pulling me back as I yelled.
"I need to find him."
He harshly grabbed my shoulder, as tears escaped my eyes. "If you go out there, you're dead."
"But he-"
"He's Jimin. He can handle himself. I promise." He wiped the tears falling onto my cheeks.
"For now, it's us that needs to worry." He grabbed my hand, pulling me into a small cave.
» » »
"Jimin?"
Hoseok pulled the hand he saw, and jumped back. The girl had fear in her eyes. She hid behind the tree, and Hoseok walked towards her.
"We need to get out of here. There's a fire."
She held onto the tree, still not speaking a word.
He sighed, and held his hand out. "Trust me."
She glanced at the smoke, and then took his hand in hers.
He looked at her while he ran. "Have you seen another guy out here?"
She continued to stay quiet, running beside him.
"You don't speak English?"
She gulped, and looked at the floor.
"Okay okay, no more questions. Let's just get the hell out of here."
"There." Hoseok dragged her to the an empty spot. He picked up the torn map, and looked at the footprints following it.
"He's got to be here."
He stood in place and panted, wiping the dripping sweat off his forehead. They were practically out of breath as the heat was killing them.
He cupped his hands around his mouth. "JIMIN."
"Fuck how's he supposed to hear me if he's trapped in a fire."
"Don't think like that."
He raised his brow, wiping the sweat of his forehead. "You speak English."
She nodded, and pulled his arm along with her. She pointed to a small river. His eyes went wide, as he bent down to the ground.
"That's his hair. Don't ask me how I know, but I know."
She slightly smiled, and quickly turned around again, tugging her along.
"We have to run again. There's no way we can escape the fire walking."
She nodded, and he pulled her arm, running as fast as he could, despite all the heat. He felt as if his adrenaline was taking control, as he was running faster than usual.
A sudden clash left them both on the floor, gasping for air. He groaned in pain, as he rubbed his lower back. He quickly grabbed his knife, and held it to the back of the mans neck.
He scrunched his nose as he heard the man mumble into ground. He lifted him by his hair, letting him speak clearly.
"You're crushing my bones."
"Jimin!?" He dropped his head, letting his face hit the ground. He jumped up, pulling the girl into a hug.
"See? I told you we'd find him."
Jimin pushed himself up, brushing the dirt off his already torn clothes.
Hoseok's eyes went wide.
"Y-
Jimin rolled his eyes.
"Your hair."
AUTHORS NOTE
|Jimin's hair this chapter|
Enjoy this back to back
update for my lack
of posting this week.
I advise that you
be alert for these
next couple of chapters
as they are VERY
important.