(a/n: If you have read this before, check the foreword for an updated intro.  ^_^  A lot of what follows is also going to be new and revamped.  Got a whole new game plan in store for you.  ;)  haha)

                From the ends of the earth to the boundaries of the other realms, they’d searched for her and yet, even now, where the planes of existence simply ended, she was still lost to them.  Standing on the precipice of nothingness with his hands balled into fists, Yoongi stared ahead, mint bangs teasing his brown eyes set in a pale face.  A fool he’d been for not seeing it sooner.  They all had.

                “Damn you,” he hissed through clenched teeth, feeling the ache of his helplessness pressing down on him.  One hand moved to feel for the lighter in his pocket, a nervous gesture of his, but it was small comfort to him.

                “Yoongi,” Namjoon called, coming close to stand at the edge and look out.  Hovering in the ether where the laws of space and time could not reach, he whistled appreciatively.  The taller, platinum haired man nodded to himself and then glanced over at his slender friend.  “What now?  This is as far as we can go, isn’t it?”

                He didn’t want to answer that question because there was one more place to go.  At last, they were on the edge of it now, but… it was one of no return.  Probably.  No breeze touched them and the air pressed in with a strange heaviness, almost as if urging them to take that last step.  To find her, to follow her, they would have to.  His hands tightened further at the challenge before them.

                “Almost,” Seokjin murmured as he came abreast with them on the other side of Yoongi.  His calm, flawless visage hid what his voice could not: he was afraid for them all.  “When there is no place left to run in all the realms, there is one more still,” he exhaled with a frown, staring at the emptiness before them that extended into the endless horizon.  Fluffy, pastel clouds above gave the scene the appearance of a tunnel save that the ground was nothing but darkness.

                “We’re going, aren’t we?” the tall, eternally young Jungkook asked as he rested an arm on Yoongi’s shoulder, looking to the shorter man for some sort of guidance.  His black hair seemed naturally messy and his brown eyes were inquisitive but determined.

                “I’m going,” Yoongi stated firmly, removing Jungkook’s arm from his shoulder, feeling the tremor inside at the prospect of trying this alone.  But if it was a one-way trip, he wouldn’t drag them along too.

                “You can’t do this by yourself,” Taehyung scoffed with an irritated toss of his head, his sharp, malleable features twisting into annoyance easily.  Brown hair shifted on his forehead and settled back into place with a swipe from his long hand.

                “She did,” the shortest man reminded them, his stomach like lead and his heart racing.  Even with years of Running under their belts and the powers at their commands, he was still frightened of what may come next.

                “No,” Seokjin shook his head, reaching over to grab Yoongi’s arm, holding tight.  “We don’t know why she came here exactly, but Headquarters sent us to get her and bring her back."  He pointed at Yoongi’s ear where their com device had fallen into quiet static.  As soon as they’d stepped foot in this nebulous space, all communication had been lost.  It was as good a sign as any they’d finally made it to their destination.  There was nowhere else for her to be.

                Annoyed because the words rang true, Yoongi smacked the hand off too and threaded his fingers into his hair, holding tight.  He closed his eyes and exhaled breathily.  “I knew something was wrong and I didn’t even try to stop it,” he berated himself, feeling hands press against his back and shoulders gently.  Their silent reassurance only made him feel worse.

                “It’s not too late,” Jungkook reminded him, one hand squeezing firmly as he offered a weak but optimistic smile.

                “She’s strong,” Namjoon agreed with a silent but obvious nod.  His presence was loud even when he wasn’t saying anything.

                “That’s what I’m afraid of,” Jimin couldn’t help but add with a worried exhale.  “If she really has gone rogue with that damn Curse…” he trailed off, scratching at his light brown hair with a tense expression.  The pale lighting served to catch the tips, casting the ends into an orange hue.

                “We know she has, but I guess we’ll just have to beat some sense into her,” Taehyung snorted, his deep voice carrying over their shoulders to fall away eerily, the sound fading with nothing to echo off of.  “Though, if Headquarters or you or someone had paid more attent-”

                “Taehyung,” Seokjin interrupted before Yoongi could snap at him.  “It doesn’t matter.  What’s done is done,” he explained, daring to give Yoongi a little shake that made the shorter man look up.  “Pearl is there.  That is enough, is it not?”

                “Yes,” he whispered immediately, swallowing once.  Just because she left, didn’t mean they hadn’t been friends.  When they found her, they might be enemies, but that didn’t erase their history.  And Celestials knew that if he had known Nephilira’s Curse was taking root, he never would have let Pearl out of his sight.  With some help from Commander Sandara, Minji had eventually been able to figure out that was what the black distortion she’d seen in the video clip had been.  Bad enough she’d disappeared without an explanation; it was worse if she was corrupted.  After a long, pregnant pause, Yoongi took a small breath and unclenched his fists.  “You know we might not come back from this.”

                “We know,” Namjoon shrugged with a sigh.  “But that's like with every run we make.  We’ve got nothing but time and you’re not losing us,” he added with a cocky grin, brown eyes nearly disappearing in his face.

                “Nope.  Not a chance,” Jungkook agreed, slinging an arm over Yoongi’s shoulder and looking around the half circle of people there.

                “From day one, when we got caught in that damn temporal rift, you knew we were gonna be in this together,” Hoseok pointed at their leader animatedly, his bony finger shaking in the other man’s face.

                Yoongi raised a brow at the friend whose face vaguely resembled a horse and snorted.  It was impossible to prevent the reluctant smile that tugged at one corner of his mouth.  “Bunch of idiots,” he scoffed, roughing his mint hair up with one hand.

                “Look who’s talking,” Jimin clapped once, trying to ease some of the tension.  At least Hoseok laughed, if no one else did.

                “Let’s do this!” Taehyung cheered with his hands in the air, nervous energy pouring from him.

                “Yeah!” all six answered in shaky unison, their voices and resolve strong, even if their bodies didn’t feel it; the power gained when they’d been changed had weakened the closer they got to this strange place.

                Almost as one, they lurched forward and willed themselves down, screaming with a blend of fear and excitement as they went.  Icy wind rose up to claw at them, snatching hair and clothes in sharp gusts; darkness consumed their sight and the gravity of nothingness pressed in close, suffocating in its proximity.  Lost in oblivion, even their voices faded into the dark, leaving them together and alone at the same time.

                Bodies crashed into water in a breathtaking landing that swallowed them whole.  It tried to flow into gasping mouths and unplugged noses, reaching icy fingers through the flimsy protection of their clothes as they frantically kicked and paddled for the surface.  But the darkness was disorienting and there was nothing to guide their , leaving them drowning as they fought panic, losing more and more every second that went by.

                No.  Not like this, Yoongi thought, reaching for something, anything to help.  Hope faded until a tendril of water brushed against him, questing and curious.  After a moment, it latched on and yanked hard, drawing Yoongi through the liquid miasma swiftly.  Only previous experience kept him from panicking as he was dragged to the surface.  Head above water, he inhaled sharply, choking on the droplets falling into his mouth.

                “Yoongi!  Light!” one of the boys cried, their voice strange in the dark and cold, bouncing off the water and distorting until it was unrecognizable.

                “On it!” he choked roughly.  Treading water with the weight of his sodden clothes trying to pull him down with amorphous, clawing hands, Yoongi fumbled cold fingers at his pants pocket.  Clinging to the metallic lighter with a desperate grip, lest he drop it, he pulled it above the surface, flipped open the top and sparked the device.  It sputtered once with the barest flicker of life, but it was enough.  Yoongi grabbed the chaotic, kinetic energy and expanded it feverishly, allowing the brilliant luminescence to devour the air as it revealed them all in the water.  “Joonie!” he called, twisting and turning in the water as he tried to locate the platinum hair of his friend.

                “Here!” a delayed sputter sounded with more splashing as gasping breaths traveled over the surface.  “Got it!” he swallowed, flailing some more before the hungry, orange glow was challenged by a brilliant, soft white that hovered over the water.

                Yoongi immediately let go of the fire, letting it die so that the warmth disappeared like a slap in the face as it blinked out of existence, but the shining orb remained.  It gave them more than enough light to see by.  “Jimin!  Taehyung!” he called at once, checking in with the boys who could manipulate water.

                The former answered first.  “I’m here!  Got you and Joonie,” Jimin panted, the water in his direction sounding calmer and less troubled.  Even as he said it, Yoongi felt a supporting pressure catch him in the water, making it easier to stay afloat.  “Kookie’s-”

                “I’m good,” the youngest promised with the sound of determined treading as he tried to make his way closer to the group.  Leave it to him to be fine by himself.

                Namjoon’s light above gave them just enough illumination to see by; it also showed they were missing three.  “Seokjin!  Hoseok!” Yoongi called, looking to Jimin who shrugged before he glanced at the water with a focused expression.  “Is Tae getting them?!” he snapped as he tried to clear the water enough to see himself, but the depths were dark and nearly impossible to peer through.

                “Jin!”  “Hoseok!” Namjoon and Jungkook called, doing their best to locate the missing people too.

                “Taehyung!” Yoongi tried again, kicking in place to spin around.  “Where are y-” he nearly choked when something grabbed his leg underwater and yanked.  “Yah!” he yelped, kicking out reflexively.  He missed whatever it was but was grateful in a moment when Taehyung’s head broke the surface, recognizable by the bangs that almost completely covered his eyes.  “Tae!” he rasped, paddling close and jerking in surprise when he saw another two heads come up as well.  “Jin!  Hoseok!” he cheered, reaching out to grab both of them.  Even if they were sputtering weakly, they were breathing!

                “Yeah!” Namjoon cheered breathily, his relief obvious in the sound.

                “Couldn’t feel them from up top.  Had to go under,” Taehyung swallowed loudly, trying to catch him breath.  “We’re good,” he panted, holding onto Seokjin with a death grip as he kept Hoseok up with the buoyancy from the water.  Yoongi paddled close, pausing once to shove the lighter back in his pocket.  They were soon surrounded by the others as they all grouped together, their teeth chattering in a strange, discordant harmony.

                “Now what do we do?” Jungkook shivered, head swiveling as he looked around for some sort of surface to stand on.  Nothing was immediately obvious and the glow of Namjoon’s light didn’t reach anything above them.  The air was unnaturally still, lacking in everything they might be able to sense, and a fell darkness continued to live just outside the edge of their bubble of luminescence.

                Yoongi squinted around in uncertainty, his already narrow eyes nearly disappearing in his too white face.  “I don’t know,” he gasped while his breath plumed out in a misty fog.

                “Getting out of the water would be a good first step,” Taehyung spit, clearing his mouth of the liquid that almost seemed to have a life of its own, despite his chance ability to manipulate it.  His words appeared to trigger a response in the realm for they all heard something swish through the water in the distance in the next moment.

                “What was that?” Hoseok whispered with a thin voice, twisting quickly in the water.  His actions felt too loud and the tension rose a touch when it only seemed to garner another reaction in the distance.

                Everyone stopped to listen better, holding their breath while water lapped against something nearby.  “It knows we’re here,” Seokjin whispered with a tremor in his voice, eyes wide and unusually dark in comparison to his pale, pretty face.

                “That thing?” one of the others answered, his voice hard to discern with the subdued sound.

                “Nephilira’s Curse,” he responded instead with a certainty that left none of them inclined to question.

                “Just keep moving,” Taehyung urged from the back where he was helping to make sure Seokjin and Hoseok were able to stay afloat, the edges of panic beginning to limn his voice.

                “Jimin!  Take point!” Yoongi urged as he tried to keep his own fears at bay.  Powerful though he might be, his strength did not count for much in the water.

                “Already ahead of you,” the younger man nodded, slipping through the liquid with unnatural ease as he trailed Namjoon along behind him.

                Yoongi felt the shift of support ease but it didn’t disappear entirely so he was able to keep up while Jungkook continued to swim alongside him.  For a second, Yoongi wished he had the youngest’s enhanced physical strengths, but it was a fleeting thought.  He simply held his tongue and kept a continuous eye on the others, watching the space beyond them intently lest something rear its ugly head.  The realms held many dangers and he had no idea what they might fight in such a place that no one knew much about.

                “Ow!” Jimin yelped, drawing everyone’s attention with a lurch of fear.  “Sorry!” he immediately announced right after, turning to wave at the others with one hand apparently resting on something that was the same shade as the surrounding area: dark.  “Found land!  Come on!”

                Relief was a nearly palpable entity as the group surged towards him as quickly as they could.  With Taehyung pushing from behind and Jimin pulling from the front, their progress was swift, but it did not alleviate the sense of fear that lingered in their bellies the longer they stayed in the water.  Every flicker of a shadow beneath the surface was something potentially dangerous and none of them could rest easy until they were back on their feet again.

                “Hurry!” Jimin urged again, water sluicing off him in sheets as he pushed up and clambered onto the surface.

                “Coming!” Namjoon announced, grabbing Jimin’s hand so the shorter man could give him a hand up.  The light followed him without guidance and threw shadows over the water in strange mockeries of their selves.  With a concentrated frown, Namjoon eyed them, his brows furrowed in his observation.

                Yoongi reached the side next, helped in part by Jimin’s assistance, but he stayed in the water to make sure Jungkook got out fine.  He planted his hand on the ground and pushed at the younger boy encouragingly.  “Get up there!” he urged, smacking him on the to encourage him while he crawled out with little trouble.  “Move it guys!” Yoongi waved towards the incoming trio.

                Taehyung moved slower than usual since he was pulling both Seokjin and Hoseok along but they made steady progress, coming in just after Jungkook tried to shake the worst of the water off.  “Come on, Hoseok,” Jungkook urged, taking the ice cold hand in his as he pulled, hauling the waterlogged form up with only a little effort.  Hoseok yelped at the action and clung to him helper briefly, shivering in the cold air.  Still similarly drenched, Jungkook comforted him quickly, patting the other man on the back with a loose hug.

                “I’ve got you, Jin,” Namjoon waved while leaning over to help the eldest up as he came into range.  Awkward in the water as he tried to get out, he was all gangly limbs and clinging clothes while Namjoon dragged him back.

                “Yoongi!  Taehyung!  Get up here!” Jimin urged when the ledge was cleared as he noticed a strange swell in the distance.  It was noticeable only because of the way the light flickered on the moving surface.

                “Go, go, go!” Taehyung shouted, pushing at Yoongi with frantic haste as he made sure the other man got out of the water first.  Jimin grabbed at one of Yoongi’s hands and then gripped the fabric of his drenched shirt, tugging both to draw the other man up as quickly as possible.

                “Yah!” Taehyung cried out behind him as soon as he was free. 

                “Tae!” Jungkook screamed, diving for the edge with Hoseok to help grab the other man who was still in the water.

                 “Something’s got my foot!” he shrieked while he kicked back frantically and clung to Jungkook and Hoseok’s hands with an icy, death grip.  Instantly, the rest of the group surged to help, gathering around in a cluster at the edge as the water roiled and churned violently.

                “No!” Yoongi yelled, hearing echoes around him as they jumped around Hoseok and Jungkook, grabbing to whatever they could to help.

                With a focused scowl, Jimin returned to the edge to push at the water around Taehyung with his hands.  Liquid peeled back a little to reveal a dark, writhing mass visible only because of Namjoon’s light.  “Celestials, it’s big!” he sputtered, trying to push it away with the water.

                “Get ready to pull!” Yoongi commanded, feeling them set their feet against the slippery surface as Jungkook, Hoseok, and Seokjin took a breath with him.

                “Don’t let me go!” Taehyung begged, his voice unnaturally high and shrill.

                Shadows coiled on the top of the water like inky snakes and suddenly straightened into keen blades that sliced into the water.  The light dimmed as a result, hitting them all with a surge of stomach dropping fear.  “Dammit!” Namjoon cursed under his breath, one hand reaching towards the living shadows.  “Can’t work with both,” he panted through bared teeth.

                “Now!” Yoongi shouted, growling through his clenched teeth as he pulled with the rest of them.  Taehyung screamed in the middle, the rope in their tug of war contest, but neither Hoseok nor Jungkook let go, their grips nigh on unbreakable.  It was their footing that threatened to slip instead.

                “Guys!” Hoseok yelped, tension dropping when his foot caught a slick spot and he stumbled, nearly taking Yoongi with him.

                “Hold on!” Jungkook growled, bracing himself as solidly as possible, legs shaking with Seokjin pulling on his arms.

                “Oh !” Jimin gasped when the water churned nearby, warning of a myriad of possible ‘somethings.’  “Yoongi!  Namjoon!” he called for backup, helping their leader to his feet so they could trade places.  “Trouble!” he announced needlessly.

                “Bugger!” Yoongi hissed, scrambling to pull his lighter from his pocket.  “Ready Joonie?” he panted, gripping his fire starter.

                “Your move!” his friend called out, stepping close beside the shorter man with a tremor in his voice.  Water surged and an army of tentacles burst through the surface, reaching for them all with dire intent.

                Yoongi’s eyes widened as it felt like time stopped for a split second.  He heard Taehyung keening in pain.  Jungkook was slipping on the smooth surface, his shoes squeaking in protest.  Namjoon exhaled beside him in a shaky breath.  And everyone else was screaming.  “Let... him... go, dammit!” Jimin snarled, the sound like a trigger to set everything in motion again.

                “Burn,” Yoongi whispered, flipping the case open and clicking the ignite trigger.  A tiny flame emerged, pitiful in its appearance.  But then a small inferno exploded as the firestorm burst outward, making the tentacles pause as they reared up.  Only Yoongi knew it was all show and no power, lacking the true heat he could normally generate, but it was more than enough for Namjoon to work with.

                “Watch your eyes!” the light and shadow manipulator warned just before a brilliant, white explosion rocked the area.  In an instant, they were swamped with its warmth while the water was scoured with pure luminescence.  Sparkles jumped from the surface and whatever was hidden beneath bolted at the show, letting Taehyung go so fast the group holding him fell back as one with him landing on top.

                Breathless and stunned, it took them a moment to gather their senses.  Yoongi blinked spots from his eyes, even though he’d had them closed, and he shook his head, swallowing when he noticed tendrils of vapor rising from his now too warm clothes.  “…” he exhaled as a nervous tremor traveled through him.

                “Yah!” Taehyung yelled as he scrambled on top of the pile, reaching towards his leg as if something was still there.  “Is it gone?  Is it gone?!” he sputtered in frantic fright while he pulled his pant leg up to check.  Immediately, the rest of the group crowded around him and they all winced when they saw a dark red welt around his ankle, almost as if a rope had been tied there.

                “What was that thing?” Hoseok gasped, chest rising and falling quickly.  His hands were still holding to Taehyung as he looked around with the same dazed expression as the others.

                “I don’t know,” Yoongi murmured, turning to look at Namjoon.  “But good job,” he exhaled with smile, stumbling close to grab the taller man’s shoulder with one hand, squeezing tight.

                “You too,” he nodded with a breathy laugh, threading his fingers through drying, white hair.  “Couldn’t of done it without you,” Namjoon admitted with a nervous nod before he glanced at the rest of the recovering group.

                “How we doing guys?” Yoongi swallowed with a cough, his gaze flickering to Namjoon’s hovering orb above.  It was dimmer than before but it gave enough light to show that the others seemed relatively unhurt.  Like him, they also had thin vapor trails disappearing into the air as their Earth-based clothes and wet hair dried out slightly faster than normal.  “How’s Taehyung?” he clarified, frowning at the still, slightly panicky young man in their midst.

                “He’s alright,” Jungkook called out, the first to get to his feet – not surprisingly.  “Come on guys.  Up you go,” he urged with a trembling voice, giving a hand up here and there.  Taehyung was among the last to stand but none of them could fault him for it.  They were all shaken from that encounter and he was the only one that had been caught.

                “Bloody infernals, that was close,” Hoseok wiped at his mouth with a bloodless hand; his eyes kept flickering towards the water as if he was afraid something else would come out at them.

                “Yeah,” Yoongi agreed, following the other man’s gaze.  “Let’s move a bit.  Give ourselves some space,” he urged as he gestured with his hands to get everyone going and away from the edge.

                “You don’t have to tell me twice,” Taehyung mumbled with a slightly limp.  Immediately, Seokjin and Jungkook flanked him supportively, keeping him between their bodies while the group moved along as one.

                Namjoon took point with the guiding light while Yoongi brought up the rear, playing defensive guard, his lighter clutched in his palm preemptively.  Jimin glared to either side as he felt for the edge of the water and Hoseok hovered close to the trio in the middle.  While walking, Jungkook leaned ahead just a touch so he could see Seokjin better.  “You said Nephilira’s Curse knew we were here.  What does that mean?” he asked with confusion and worry writ on his face.

                Seokjin sighed and seemed to shrink in on himself, pausing uncertainly in their trek when the others crowded close to hear his answer.  He glanced around at the foreboding darkness of the realm first and then settled on the faces of those around him, taking strength from their presence.  “You know the place we are in now,” he began, his hand still resting on his chest.  Slow, uncertain nods around the circle answered him and he continued, “We are in the beginning and the end of all realms.  Genesis and Oblivion.  It connects and separates all realms at the same time,” he explained, brow furrowed as he searched for the words.

                “Neverealm?” Namjoon blinked in confusion, shaking his head.  “I thought it was just a story the Nemons told us about.”

                “Not quite,” Yoongi shook his head with a gesture towards the realm in which they stood.  “I did think you knew where we were going though,” he barked a mirthless laugh to which Namjoon raised his fist and made a face, mostly in gest.

                “It’s generally thought to be impossible to find,” Seokjin amended as his tongue swiped over his lips before his teeth settled on them instead.  “Unless you’ve got a way in that is.”

                “Pearl,” Jungkook whispered, one hand rising to rest on his head.

                “Yes,” Seokjin confirmed in a soft voice.

                “But why was she able to find it?” Jimin wondered aloud, leaning on Hoseok for support.  In reaction, Hoseok looped an arm around the other man’s waist comfortably, the position casual but supportive.

                “Because this is where Nephilira’s Curse was born,” he sighed with his lips pursed as if he’d tasted something foul.  “The place where the enmity of the demons and the angels towards each other resulted in a blight that occasionally rears its ugly head again.  It makes sense a descendant of their union would be able to find this place, especially if the Curse had already taken hold.”

                “It came home,” Taehyung grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest with a perturbed scowl.

                “And it took her with it,” Hoseok added with his lip curled in irritation, scratching at damp, black hair quickly.  It was almost dry so they weren’t in danger of freezing to death anymore, but it was still cold and they still had no idea where to go or what to do.

                “Not for long,” Yoongi murmured as he tapped his lip, a determined frown evident on his face.  His dark eyes jumped from person to person and he took a small breath.  “Nexus command,” he tapped at the completely unresponsive receiver in his ear reflexively, “sent us to do whatever it takes to stop her or bring her back.”  His statement made them all uncomfortable and they shifted from foot to foot, having a hard time meeting his eyes at first.

                “But she’s our friend,” Jungkook pointed out with his eyes downcast and hand partially raised in objection.

                “I know, Kookie,” Yoongi smiled, the expression a little forced but genuine.  “Pearl is our friend.  Has been for a long time now.  We all know she helped us figure out what being Rift Runners meant after headquarters found us and brought us in.”  He looked pensively at the lighter in his hand.  “They gave us purpose again when we had none.”  Losing your past and current future in the blink of an eye tended to have that effect.

                “But you think we might not be facing Pearl this time, right?” Namjoon prodded with one hand gripping the back of his neck.

                “Something knows we’re here and Jin thinks it’s Nephilira’s Curse,” Yoongi pointed out, his hand rising in the air between them to support his statement.  Seokjin cringed slightly, his shoulders rising towards his ears in response, but he nodded in hesitant agreement.  “And as we’ve seen,” he gestured at Taehyung apologetically, “it is trying to stop us.”

                “I’d like to see it try,” Namjoon snorted with his head up and eyes flashing in challenge.  “Again,” he made a face as Taehyung glared at him but didn’t say anything.

                Yoongi smacked him in the shoulder anyway, earning a chagrined smirk in response.  “Alright Rift Boys,” he began quietly, looking around the circle until everyone was meeting his eyes.  “We’ve followed Pearl to every plane and encountered every foe imaginable, including angels, demons, and gods, but we’ve gotta be on our game here.  This is a whole new playing field,” he reminded them seriously, sticking his hand out so they could join in.

                “We don’t know what we’re up against or how it’s gonna hit us,” Namjoon added as he stuck his hand out, ever the first supporter to Yoongi.  “This is just like any other neutralizing run.  We get in, fix the imbalance, and we get out.  Ready?” he asked, feeling the nervous tension building in their midst.  They all knew it wasn’t likely to be that simple this time, but what other choice did they have now that they were here?

                As one, the others reached in and piled their palms on top of Yoongi and Namjoon’s, looking at each other with troubled but clear eyes.  The silent count went through and they raised their arms up.  “Rift Boys out!”

                “Onward!” Yoongi pointed ahead into the darkness. 

                When no one moved, Taehyung spoke with a raised brow.  “How do you know that’s the right way to go?”

                “I don’t,” Yoongi responded with a snort and a shrug.  “But unless we want to end up in the water again, it’s the only way to go, right?” he stated, looking at Jimin for confirmation.  After a thoughtful pause where Jimin narrowed his eyes in concentration, he straightened up and shrugged with an agreeing nod.  “See?” Yoongi chirped, pointing back towards the general front.

                “Whatever,” Taehyung scoffed with a shake of his head, the sound harsher than intended.

                “Come on,” Namjoon urged, slapping the other man on the back loudly.  “Have I ever led you guys astray?” he asked, pointing towards their sole source of light as he took point again.

                “Are you sure you wanna hear the answer to that question?” Seokjin teased with a partial smile in his tone, voicing some of his uncertain energy.

                “Shut up,” Namjoon grumbled, still moving.

                With the light following him, the others were forced to go along too or be left in the darkness.  Brave and ready or not, none of them wanted to find out what might be waiting for them there again.

(a/n: Welcome to part 1 of 3 (probably).  Still fixing up the rest of it for posting with the new changes, but I hope you've enjoyed the revamped beginning so far.  After having two reviewers take a look at it (both of whom spawned ideas in different directions and made really good points on both sides), I decided to overhaul this plot, but in two different takes.  Here is the lengthier version with an expanded look at the boys and a stronger role for them in general, based on the needs of the story.  I hope you look forward to the next chapter!  Thank you!)