"What?" A cold sound getting lost in the silence. Looks drowned in confusion exchanged between the two players of this deceiving game. "What did you say?" The same demanding voice, only this time a touch more shaky. You dug the nails of your frozen fingers into Jimin's arms, as if that small pain was enough of a punishment for the grief the words you've clearly heard, but refused to believe, have brought you. You sought confirmation, to hear those cursed words again. You wanted Jimin to push the blade deeper into your heart, to destroy you completely, for reasons that beat even your own self.
"You're not deaf, now, are you, Y/N?" Jimin turned his head just enough for his judgmental eyes to fall on you.
Somewhere in the depths of your brain, something was not clicking, but the wave of doubt went unnoticed. Flashback to not even half a day earlier. How did he react back then? Oh yeah, he aggressively pulled you out of the car, then threatened to kill you was Taehyung to die, he was burning with rage. But now he was suspiciously composed, considering the kind of news he was conveying.
"He's dead," Jimin continued. He broke free when your grip loosened.
In your head, information was travelling at the speed of light, bits and pieces connecting into a blurry picture. Something was not right. But what? WHAT? With your eyes running across the floor, you missed Jimin leaving the room, and by the time you finally figured it out, you had nobody to spill your anger over. Yoongi was the only one left in the hallway with you, standing a few feet back still not sure what to say. He opted for silence all along, but that would not hold much longer. You were so tired of being lied to, being pushed to the side, and wronged, that you were willing to push through with whatever was on your mind till someone gave you the answer.
"He's lying," you murmured.
"Y/N..." Yoongi closed his eyes and sighed.
You turned to face him. "He's lying, right? Taehyung's not dead. Jimin's just messing with me, right?"
"I still don't know all the details, as you can see, he's left before telling us everything. We'll talk about this when he gets back, right now we have more urgent deeds."
"I don't believe you. Stop lying to me, Yoongi!" You snapped back at him.
"What makes you think that I'm lying?"
"It's not something you haven't done before. All this time you knew who I was, you knew about me and Jungkook, you kept it all away from me. You used me."
"I did what I had to do for everyone's sake."
"Everyone??"
"Yes, Y/N. I kept you under my protection, I've given you a safe place to crash, food and clothes, everything you needed."
"A safe place...how is any of this safe? I've been close to dying so many times I lost count."
"And you would've been dead, had the boys not found you. You're reaching too far, Y/N. Don't turn your grief into foolish accusations." He had noticed that all along you've been fighting back tears, and your whole body has been trembling with bottled up resentment. But it wasn't directed at him, not even at Jimin, but at the one person that has started it all, Kim Namjoon. "It's not me you should be screaming at, don't you think?" Yoongi started walking towards the northern part of the house. He was not going to add fuel to an argument that was not even directed at the right person.
"Where are you going?" you asked, with a dash of "I'm still pissed off" in the tone of your voice.
"Follow me."
It never ceased to amaze you how good Yoongi was at controlling his emotions. He was truly cut for the role of a leader. You were throwing a tantrum like a child because of all this pain that you could not keep under control. But, while words kept leaving your lips, you kept regretting ever allowing such things to reach Yoongi's ears. You were aware you were throwing blame at the wrong person. If anything, the two most guilty for what had happened were you and Namjoon. You for insisting on going to "Paradise", and him for pulling the trigger. Yoongi was not even punishing you for it. He did care for the members of his gang, and he had never judged a person before doing proper research, sketching the clear reasoning behind their actions, the "why", "where", and "who" of everything. Was the person standing in front of him guilty? Did he do it without thinking or did he choose the wrong path? If the latter is the correct answer, then he is found guilty and punished accordingly. But in your case things were complicated. He knew the outcome was not something you could have had control over, nor was it something you would have desired, no matter how upset you were. So he was inclining more towards screaming at Jimin for being so stubbornly against you, and even more for opening his mouth when Yoongi didn't ask him to. He was also aware that you had to get rid of that rage eating you inside out as soon as possible, so that you wouldn't snap for real. And he had the perfect means to do so.
Walking down the corridor, you glanced at each door you passed by, wondering which one Yoongi would push open, and what would hide inside. But he opened none of the ones on the ground level. The one you stood in front of now was located in the underground level of a separate building that was hidden by well kept trees and green bushes. For a second you thought Yoongi took you out in the garden to cool off, but when the second building came into sight your curiosity peaked. This residence was so much more Yoongi's style: classy and clean with many well hidden secrets. The doors here resembled the ones usually found in prisons, very sturdy looking. And there were quite a few. This particular one that Yoongi hesitated to open was at the end of the corridor, guarded by a muscular, angry-looking man. When the moment felt right, Yoongi pushed it open. He entered the dark room that was soaked in a smell that made your stomach turn. You contemplated whether it was worth stepping inside for two seconds. Then lights went on and you received the answer: hell yeah. On a metal chair - that resembled the ones used for electrocution - stood Namjoon, drenched in his own blood and sweat. Upon seeing him, the focus of your whole existence had fallen onto another target. Your skin tingled with desire for revenge. Blood had to be spilled for all the tears you have wept because of this one person stubbornly hanging on to his life. You were standing there, motionless, while on the inside a storm was building up. Yoongi was watching you, reading into every little expression, every twist of a muscle. You were tense, and soon about to explode. Without a warning, you lunged forward, full attack mode. One punch in the face, and Namjoon was back to his senses. Tears were tumbling down your face as you muffled cries of pain. All this time you have waited for this very moment of face to face confrontation, all the rage bottled inside, it washed over you like a tsunami. Such a perfect blend of emotions hard to define. Namjoon rolled his head and lifted it to meet the eyes of the attacker. A chuckle left his bloody lips. He was not surprised.
"Nice to see you well and living, Y/N. How's Taehyung?"
The way he muttered those words, with such pride and arrogance added gasoline to the fire in your heart, so another punch was to be expected. And obviously, another laughter from Namjoon, after he spit the blood flooding his mouth.
"Ow, he must not be doing so well. Tragic."
This time Yoongi stepped in, blocking your view. "Take it easy, Y/N, you have plenty of time." He noticed you had been massaging your fists after each punch. "Use whatever tool you need, and be cautious, he's a sly snake."
You nodded. You were so caught up in emotions that words got stuck in your throat.
"Can I trust you'll be ok?" he asked to make sure.
"Oh, come on! I appreciate the villain you're making me to be, but as you can see I am tightly tied to this shitty chair. You need to make some improvements here, if you ask me-"
"Shut the fuck up, shitface, I was not talking to you," Yoongi cut in. He dug his fingers into Namjoon's jaw to make sure he kept it shut.
"I'll be fine," you confidently said. It was like a switch went off causing you to feel nothing, no grief, no remorse, nothing but emptiness. You were ready and set on getting that well deserved revenge that you so deeply desired.
Yoongi nodded in your direction. He trusted you enough to believe you will get through with this. On his way out he leaned in to whisper into your ear. "Just one thing, kiddo, don't kill him. There are others more determined to do it. And if he does something just scream and the men outside will take care of it. Have fun!"
You stood there in front of Namjoon, pinning him with your deadly stare as you waited for the door to close behind Yoongi. When it did, you took a deep breath and let the darkness you've kept buried inside spread through your veins like a drug.
"Wow, Y/N, I do have to admit you are hot as fuck when you do this bad girl thingy. I'd so kill to get in your pants right now," Namjoon said with a stupid grin on his face.
You laughed. "What makes you think you'll get even close to doing so?"
Namjoon let out a soft scoff. "I think I had quite a nice hold of you on a couple of occasions, wouldn't you say?"
"Well it's too bad you let me get away before you did it each time." You were playing with words, mocking him. No longer the sensitive little girl who played the victim, you went all out. You made your way to the silvery counters in the back of the room. On full display lied countless instruments used for torture ranging from knifes to drug filled syringes, most likely something crafted by Hoseok. With so many choices it was hard to decide on one.
"Being on the opposite side makes you quite confident, Y/N. But you never know when the roles will be switched again. I'd love to see you tied to a chair again."
You walked in front of the man holding one syringe in your hands. You lowered your face to the level of his. You wanted to stare him in the eye as you spoke. "Talk all you want, but you're never getting out of this room. I'll make sure you rot in here. You don't even deserve a quick death, you deserve the worst of the worst, that's how much of a piece of shit you are. You thought you could play everyone with that smart brain of yours, but your arrogance ultimately led to your downfall."
"You have no idea what you're talking about. Do you really think I won't get out of here? Do you think Black Tiger will just sit still and let you have it your way? "
"Oh, yeah? Where is he, then?" You looked around, faking a surprised face. "I don't see him. Could it be that he doesn't actually give a fuck about you?"
Namjoon's conceited smile fell in the blink of an eye. Your confidence was reaching levels he was not comfortable with. He hated being subjugated.
"You're getting too cocky, baby doll."
"So? What are you going to do?" You glared at him, he shifted under the tightly tied ropes, and then you shoved the needle into his thigh. He let out a scream that pleased your vengeful ears. You let the entire quantity of that odd looking liquid into his muscles, not sure of what it was supposed to do. All of a sudden Yoongi's words emerged from the depths of your memory "don't kill him". Well it was already too late to change anything, whatever happens, happens.
"Try all you want, you'll never get anything out of me," Namjoon said in between groans.
"Worry not, we have all the information we need. What I am doing here is not searching for answers, it is searching for inner peace."
"I did cause quite the turmoil inside you, haven't I?" he chuckled.
"Wait and you will see," you leaned in, grabbed his jaw and spoke slowly and softly "All of what I've been through will be nothing compared to what pain you will feel. I'll go to hell and back to make sure everything you ever touched burns to ashes, then I'll come back to you and stare you deep in the eye as you beg me to stop."
"I think I got a boner with all this dirty talk," Namjoon said, trying to play it cool.
"You can avoid it all you want, but the truth is" you got closer to his ear and whispered "this is the end of you." You pushed his chin to the side and took a step back, watching him shiver, most likely a side-effect of the drug you just gave him. There was sweat dripping down from his hair, from the sides of his face, down to his already drenched shirt. "Look at you...The Almighty right hand of Black Tiger. Not so tough now, are you? For all this time you have been the cause of all my pain, all my sorrow, you've been following me, hunting me, torturing me, how does it feel to stand in my shoes now?"
"You won't succeed, Y/N...Black Tige-...will come." Namjoon was already panting really hard. "You...will all...die...you...you'll pay..."
"Getting pretty hard to breathe, right?" You went back to the table and took one of the ropes, wrapping it tightly around both of your palms. "This reminds me of that one time I was almost chocked to death. That feeling...the burning sensation when your lungs cry for air, but you can't breathe, it stays with you, you know. It was one starry night, and I just happened to be a victim of a car crash, barely even alive, when a stranger following orders put his hands around my neck." You slowly closed the distance, and when you were standing right behind him you looked down at the rope again. "But you already know this...you were there." As if in a trance, you wrapped the rope around his neck and pulled both sides with all your strength, making the man writhe under your steel-like strength. "How does it feel? Frustrating, right? You're desperately trying to get in even the slightest amount of air, yet nothing happens, and all you can do is either cling onto the hope that the grip will loosen for even a bit, or pray that it all ends faster and you'll no longer feel your lungs burning, your heart beating so fast you think it will explode." There was hatred in every word you spoke, and darkness in every second you pulled that rope, but it felt so relieving. You loosened the grip and threw the rope on the floor. You went around Namjoon, who was now a coughing and panting mess, and kneeled on one leg. "There it is, the fear in your eyes. Never quite felt it, right? But that's the thing with humans...we're all afraid of dying, no matter the level of your wealth or power. Black Tiger might have made you feel so safe and secure, but the truth is, death is closer to you than you have ever imagined."
"You crazy bitch..."
You stood up and spoke as you looked down at him with the eyes of a conqueror. "That's right, I am crazy. Guess I have to thank you for that. You know what's regrettable?"
"That you haven't died with your lovey dovey? Oh wait...was that Jungkook? I am sorry, I always mix them up. You are quite the whore, Y/N, you know that?" As he was speaking, you disappeared behind him yet again. Pushing you to the limit -with the things that he very well knew were your weaknesses- was his guilty pleasure. "Cheating on your fiancé with his former best friend...ouch! That's a bit low, even for you. Then faking that you forgot the...how do you call him, the love of your life?" When you came back, he stared in your eyes. "And you dare to put the blame on me now? Ha! Haha! Look at you! You're the pitiful one, Y/N! You ran after two rabbits and lost both. One dead, the other the heir of Yoongi's mortal enemy. And it is your fault this all happened." He leaned forward as he muttered those words. Not able to listen to his stupid speech, you gave him another shot, this time aiming straight for the neck. He let out a groan as you pushed the liquid into his system. This time you were aware of what you were using: a drug specifically designed to put people to sleep within seconds. "This won't change anything, Y/N, You lost." His vision suddenly turned blurry. He saw a shadow heading towards the exit. "Whatever it is you have planned...you won't succeed," were the last words he managed to say.
"We shall see," you replied as you closed the door behind you. The guard that was sitting right next to you gave you a confused look. "Gotta leave some for the rest, you know." He chuckled. It was not a case of generosity, but more like a case of precaution. With all that hate you held in you, killing him would've been nothing but a pleasure to you, and that was terrifying. The moment he brought up Taehyung you felt it, the strong heat wave emerging from your toes and rising up to your heart, and it scared you. The lengths you were about to go to just to make up for the pain he had inflicted were frightening you. And now, as you were crossing the majestic garden of Yoongi's place, you couldn't stop thinking about Jimin's reaction when he conveyed the news of Taehyung's death. Something was fishy. There was no way he would react so calmly. You frowned as you replayed everything in your mind. Guilt, anger, sorrow, hope, they all clouded your soul, ripping it apart piece by piece. You needed something to hold on to. Jungkook's name echoed in your head, your sole safe haven, the anchor that kept you grounded. But he was now the leader of the rival group, and you haven't had a chance to discuss further about this matter and the next moves with Yoongi. In this situation, acting recklessly could easily get you and the rest of them killed, so you had to keep your head cool. In order to do that you focused on solving the 'Jimin acting fishy' case first. He clearly knew something. Then it suddenly hit you. The moment Jungkook pulled you from Taehyung, it was Hoseok that came rushing to his aid. The image was so clear now.
"That's it! Hoseok was there!" you said to yourself.
There was no time to waste, you needed to talk to Hoseok. You pulled your phone out and called him numerous times, only to be met by the voicemail. You rushed down the hallways towards the front door, determined to find him somehow, only to find Yoongi talking to a group of men. You slowed down. Things seemed quite serious. You approached Yoongi cautiously.
"What was that all about?"
"Oh, Y/N! Already done? That took shorter that I thought. You didn't kill him, did you?"
"No I didn't. I put him to sleep."
"Locking him in his nightmares...nice move. A man's mind can be the darkest prison."
"I saw you talking to those men. Are we in trouble?"
"We're always in trouble, Y/N. But that, it's nothing to worry about. We're at war now, so you'll see more of that. You seem inpatient. Is there something bothering you?"
"I keep thinking about what Jimin said...it doesn't seem right. Do you have any idea where Hoseok is? He's not answering his phone."
"Why are you looking for him?"
"He was there...after my mind went fuzzy, he came to help. I remember now. It was him!"
"Y/N...you have to let this go. You need to rest."
"No! NO! Why do you keep telling me what to do as if you know what is better for me? You have no idea what's going on in my head right now. And you keep feeding me lies. I am tired of lies, Yoongi, so tired. I know Jimin is lying, I can feel it! Hoseok knows the truth, that's why I need to find him."
"He's on a mission, you won't find him."
"What mission? How come I don't know about this mission? How come I don't know what mission you sent those men on? Am I not part of the family anymore?" You were getting worked up pretty fast.
"Calm down, it's not like that. Look, everything I do is for your and my group's sake. If you don't trust me, you are free to leave."
Youlooked at him. There was no emotion on his face, only a small trace of anger.In that moment it became clear you were not getting any more information fromhim. You nodded, anger bubbling in your gut, turned around and went out thedoor. Hoseok was nowhere to be found? Good, you'll go for the next best thingthen, Park Jimin.