Gunfire and explosions is all Youngjae can hear; smog and dust fly into his face. “J-Jae!” Youngjae coughs. The figure of Jae that he had seen moments ago is no longer there and all he can see is smoke.

“Youngjae go up!” Jaebum’s yell is loud and clear as though he were standing right next to Youngjae. Even though Jaebum had ordered him to, Youngjae wanted to reassure himself that he was safe. That Jaebum was safe.

“Jae where are you!” Youngjae runs to where he had heard the elder’s voice, his hands reach outwards.

“I’m here!” Jaebum’s voice is barely recognizable under the incoming gunfire. Fear rattles through Youngjae and a small lump makes him want to throw up. After seconds of fumbling through the smoke he reaches Jaebum, the boy already armed with his pistol.

“Jae.” Youngjae’s eyes are washed with relief and it’s like a weight is lifted off his shoulders.

“Youngjae, we have to leave. We have to find the others in town.” Jaebum grabs whatever he can find and shoves it down his backpack.

“Yeah.” Youngjae grabs himself a knife for protection. “Wait.” Youngjae turns to look Jaebum in the eye. “Mark.”

Jaebum’s eyes open wide. How the did I forget! “We got to get him and go!” Jaebum runs to the middle of the cave, the 6 ropes still hanging down from the abyss.

Youngjae scrambles to Jaebum as the elder pulls up the 4 ropes hanging so that they shoot into the abyss. “Hurry Jae…” Youngjae’s head is screamin as he hooks himself. “I hear footsteps.”

“Yeah.” Jaebum hears the click and without bothering to check, he shoots up into the ceiling. Youngjae gulps and follows.

As soon as Youngjae’s eyes adjust to the dark room, he notices Jaebum helping Mark get out of bed. “Ngh…” Mark starts coughing, sweat dripping down his forehead.

“Jae!” Youngjae whispers loudly. “His wound is opening!” The clean white bandages that had wrapped Mark’s chest, were slowly turning red.

Youngjae stares down to the bottom of the cave, several men in black are wandering around, searching. Oh no.

“Jae, what are we going to do?” Youngjae whimpers as he looks at their odds. There was no way that Youngjae could carry Mark and they would be completely unprotected if Jaebum carried Mark.

“We wait.” Jaebum lays Mark down, his ever so frail body leans against the stone wall. … this doesn’t look good.

Mark’s breathing is ragged, his bandages practically soaked with blood. His eyes are closed and his eyebrows furrowed in pain.

*BEEP*

What… Youngjae looks down to the cave. There, dead center in the middle of the cave. A bomb. “Jae!” Youngjae gulps, how long do we have…

“Youngjae wait here. I’ll give you the signal to let down Mark, strap him in.” Jaebum his pistol and connects himself to the line.

“Be careful…” Youngjae is worried, beyond worried infact. Jaebum gives somewhat of a smirk to reassure Youngjae before jumping down into the cave.

Youngjae ignores the gunshots; his teeth bite down onto his lip to stop his teeth from chattering. “Mark, can you hear me?”

Mark's eyes flutter slightly, the only assurance to Youngjae that he's not dead. With trembling fingers, Youngjae quickly attaches the rope to Mark's belt.

Jaebum… Youngjae looks wearily down the opening. The clapping sound of bullets doesn't seem to cease.

A soft moan draws Youngjae's attention back to Mark's strapped in figure. “M-Mark!”

Mark's eyes are open, a soft film glazes over his usually bright eyes. “J-Jinyoung…”

“He's in town Mark, you have to hang i-” Youngjae's words are cut off by a sudden fit of coughing. Youngjae stares in dismay as a trickle of red liquid falls from the corner of Mark's lip.

No…

Youngjae looks down, no signal. I have to go, there's no time! Youngjae picks up Mark's trembling body and they hop down into the center of the cave.

As soon as Youngjae feels his feet touch the floor of the cave he rips himself off the line. Even over his own thoughts he can hear Jaebum struggling with another member. God please… With quick motions Youngjae unbuckles Mark from the line. Barely awake, Mark falls to the floor; Youngjae just barely catching him in time.

“Mark!” Youngjae lifts Mark onto his back So light! Mark’s body is as light as a feather, only adding to Youngjae’s worry.

Youngjae glances at Jaebum, the elder exchanging bullets with a tall man. Jae… With the final crisp sound of a bullet, the fight is over. Youngjae walks as hurriedly as he can over to Jaebum. “Jae.” Jaebum is covered in sweat, his hand stained with red colours.

“Youngjae! Why didn’t you wait for my signal?” Jaebum’s questions are answered when Mark breaks out into a fit of coughing. “…”

“Yeah… we have to get him out of here, let’s go quickly.” Youngjae boosts Mark higher onto his back.

“Yeah…” Jaebum grabs another fully loaded pistol and slips it into his back pocket.

Hang in there Mark.

“We’re almost there Youngjae, do you want me to hold him?” Jaebum and Youngjae had been running for nearly an hour, constantly switching between each other to carry Mark. He wasn’t getting any better.

“No, I don’t want to left unarmed. He’s too light Jae…” Youngjae bites his lips as they hurry into the streets of the city.

“They should be getting medical supplies at this point.” Jaebum takes a sharp turn right and down a bustling street alley.

Many people stare at Mark’s limp body on Youngjae but he doesn’t have the time to worry about being noticed. They just needed to get out of there.

“There they are.” Jaebum picks up his pace. “Jinyoung!” His desperate yell floats over the crowd and all the way to the other boys.

Jinyoung’s eyes turn in their direction. A look of confusion. His eyes widen. Mark.

Jinyoung’s yell blocks out the civilians chattering and his hands drop everything but a black case. “Mark!!!” Jinyoung runs past the people, his body bumping into one of them every now and then.

Jaebum and Youngjae run to them. Mark’s hand slowly appears over Jinyoung’s shoulder. His hand reaching… for Jinyoung. “What happened! Hyung!” Jinyoung grabs onto Mark’s outreaching hand, his other dropping the black case to check his pulse.

Mark’s hand fraily tighten onto Jinyoung’s hand and his dull eyes flutter open slightly. “W-we have to get out of here, I need to treat him immediately!” Jinyoung lifts Mark off of Youngjae and onto his own back. “Let’s go.” The boy’s begin to run to an empty location to treat Mark.

*BOOM*

The loud explosion leaves Youngjae’s ears screaming, a dust cloud gathers in the middle of the crowd. A few people lay injured on the floor. “Hyung, what’s going on!” Yugyeom yells over the screaming people, they run around wildly bumping into them.

“Head to the East Pavilion!” Jaebum’s yell is loud and clear over the screaming people and the seven boys attempt to make their way through the crowd.

*clunk*

The distinct metal tapping against the street floor draws Jaebum’s attention to it. A grenade! No… The unmistakeable rod rolls on the floor and a thick smoke escapes from its end.

“Run!” The smoke spreads through the street. Many of the civilians have already run far away after the first explosion and no one seems to be affected. But it was obvious what the smoke was.

Youngjae runs as hard as he can but the grey gas quickly catches up to him. The wind! Youngjae trips over something, his hands shoot out beneath him to catch his fall. He gets up as fast as he can and runs to catch up to Jaebum but his body is engulfed in the smoke and his vision proves useless.

Youngjae coughs, the gas floods into his lungs and burns his throat. “J-Jae!” No answer. Youngjae feels his vision become fuzzy, his head pounding.

No…

Youngjae drags his foot forward, but with no air left in his lungs he falls over. He coughs repeatedly in an attempt to clear his lungs. Like acid, his throat closes up and his lungs scream for some sort of salvation.

Jae…

With all hope lost, Youngjae falls from his knees to the ground, his head clunks against the street floor. His coughing is hoarse and his eyelids feel heavy.

Someone.

Youngjae can barely feel his own body, his eyes droop and the edges of his sight turn black. The smoke continues to corrupt his lungs until finally, his body gives in to the gas. Everything goes black.

Jae...

Everything’s black and the only thing that Youngjae can hear is the whispering of strange people from outside his conscious. His eyes don’t open, his wrists ache as though they’re tied by coarse rope. His heart and heart pound furiously. His eyes still don’t open.

Where am I? Where’s Jaebum? Are they okay? What’s happening....

“Hey get up!” Youngjae’s eyes snap open from the sudden voice echoing in his left ear. The brightness is not as different than if his eyes were closed. A single bulb hangs from the top of a short ceiling. It’s then that Youngjae realises that he’s tied to a chair, several tall men leaning over his body.

“W-where am I?” Youngjae’s teeth rattle against each other in fear.

None of the tall men answer him, instead, they open up the circle to reveal a fat man leaning against the stone wall. No…

The figure is unmistakeable. The colour drains from Youngjae’s face and his head feels light. The fat man, the one that Youngjae had ran away from that fateful afternoon- his boss.

“Hey kiddo.” The man walks closer to Youngjae, his lips pursed into a smile. “Long time no see.”

Youngjae looks down to the floor, his knees shaking within the shackles of rope. Jaebum… Memories flood into Youngjae. That day he had met Jaebum, that day he had left behind the shop for good. How much he wished Jaebum was here for him now.

“Hey!” Youngjae’s memories are snapped in half as a foot crushes down on his knee. Youngjae winces in pain as he glares up at the man. I have to be strong. “Do you even know what you’ve done?” The man’s eyes glow pure rage as the heel of his boot digs into Youngjae’s knee.

The heel breaks skin and a small whimper escapes his trembling lips. “What’s wrong, cat got your tongue?” The man smirks and his fist makes impact with Youngjae’s cheek.The other men howl in laughter and their voices ring in Youngjae’s ear.

“Ashdfna.” Youngjae mumbles under his breath, his hair hanging over his bruised face.

“What was that?” The man leans closer to Youngjae, his brown eyes stare at Youngjae’s figure.

Youngjae looks up from the floor, his fringe just barely showing his wet eyes beneath them. “. Off.”

Youngjae’s words echo in the small cramped room and silence ensues. It takes seconds for the boss to react to Youngjae’s words. The heel of the man’s foot lands flat on Youngjae’s stomach and a crack erupts from Youngjae’s body. “Nghh…” The wooden chair falls backwards from the impact and Youngjae falls to the floor with it.

Without a second of guilt washing over the man, his foot lands in the same area, Youngjae cries as the pain becomes unbearable.

“How does that feel huh?” The man laughs maniacally as he continues to slam his foot down on the half conscious boy.

Youngjae feels the hot tears well up in his eyes and the salty blood dripping down his lips from biting on them too hard. Jaebum…

As though to answer his prayers, the man stops his heel just short of Youngjae's mutilated stomach.

“Hang him up.” Youngjae panics; he wrestles against the men who untie him.

“Don't touch me!” Youngjae barks loudly, his limbs giving him no justice whatsoever.

With the man’s patience running thin he signals the man on Youngjae's right and he slams his left fist into Youngjae's chest.

Youngjae coughs violently and can do nothing to prevent his sore wrists from being shackled to the chains attached to the wall.

“I'm getting bored of this game.” The man signals someone holding a clear mask and he walks closer to Youngjae. “Let's end this once and for all.”

The other men leave the room, the gas mask rests on the boss’s hand. “This is what you get for messing with me.”

Youngjae shakes his head to avoid the gas mask and his hands rattle against the chains.

“There's no one to save you.” The man straps the gas mask to Youngjae's face and immediately a strange odor spreads into the mask.

Youngjae screams through the mask, only small muffle escapes the thick plastic of the mask. The man howls in laughter.

Jaebum!

Youngjae's head begins to pound, the strange odor entrancing his conscious. His head nods up and down his vision doubles to the point where everything is blurry.

*BANG*

Youngjae has no reaction to the sudden gunshots and slamming of objects. His mind is blank as the gas slowly takes over his mind and body.

This is it…

The door to the room slams open, it's metal frame hits the wall behind it. The man who had been laughing away suddenly freezes, his gun pointed at a bunch of boys standing in the doorway.

Who…

Youngjae pours what little strength he has left into lifting his head up. Four boys stand there, each wielding pistols. One of them is staring straight at Youngjae, his eyes burning a fiery red.

Help…

Youngjae's head falls back down, he hears nothing. He sees nothing. Everything is slowly fading away from him. His ending.

Youngjae feels something fly off his face, the loud clunk only just reaching his numbed ears. His heavy eyes slowly lift as a strange smell fills his nostrils. Air.

“Youngjae! Youngjae can you hear me!” Someone hangs over him, his large arms carrying Youngjae's body.

Youngjae opens his mouth, but nothing comes out. His double vision slowly fades away till his sight becomes clear again.

That unmistakeable black hair. The black hoodie. His brown eyes.

Jaebum.

I'm… I'm alive…

Relief sends a toxin his body and he feels heavy. His eyes droop, a different feeling than before. A feeling of safety. Exhaustion drains his conscious, and he falls asleep in Jaebum's arms.

He's falling, darkness surrounds and engulfs him. He reaches out for someone, anyone. I don't want to die!

A hand catches him, it's warmth locking onto Youngjae's trembling hand. It pulls him out of the darkness and into-

Youngjae's eyes flutter open, the cushion beneath him symbolizing a warm bed; something he had not felt in a long time.

“Hyung he's awake!” Jinyoung's nostalgic yell gives relief to Youngjae's frightened stature.

Youngjae lifts his heavy body up from the mattress, unbearable pain shooting through his bandaged stomach. A small room, the door connecting elsewhere to an outside corridor.

A boy appears in the doorway blocking Youngjae's view, but he's not disappointed. The person he was waiting for stands there.

Youngjae stumbles out of bed, ignoring the pain of his body. He runs to Jaebum, his body embraces with his. The embrace is so heartwarming that the two don't even notice Jinyoung leaving the two alone in the bedroom.

Unknown tears spill down Youngjae's face. “I-I was so scared…” Youngjae's sobs into Jaebum's warm chest. The feeling of safety overwhelming him.

“I-I'm sorry Youngjae.” Jaebum runs his hand through Youngjae's hair, the other soothing his back. “I'm sorry you had to go through that.”

Jaebum's voice is so soft and calming that the tears just don't seem to stop flowing. “Thank you Jae…”

“Hey, I have something to say.” Jaebum places his hand on Youngjae's face and makes it so their eyes meet. For seconds, the two just stare at each other. Then,

“I love you.” The words roll off of Jaebum's tongue and float gently to Youngjae's ears.

“W-what?” Youngjae's asks again as though he needs to hear the words again to believe them.

“I love you Youngjae.” Jaebum doesn't wait for Youngjae's response before leaning in, his lips lock with Youngjae's, neither of the two move away.

Youngjae's hands wrap around Jaebum's waist, his fingers locking with each other in the back.

He pulls away. “I love you too Jaebum.” Youngjae leans in again for another kiss. The two of them are together again.

I love you.