The two wounded soldiers walked through the rest of the way all the way to the platform, now desolated and with no clowns around the area. They surely knew not to try that again.

With a more calm and slow pace, the girls made it inside the platform, passing through the toll and keeping their eyes peeled around. This kind of silence was eerie, way too quiet for it to be normal--but then again it was late at night.

"It's too quiet, man," Seulgi said softly, sticking close to Irene as if she were a lieutenant. Actually, it felt good to be this close to Irene.

It was weird, of course. But it felt good.

They went down the stairs, being greeted by nothing but a ghost and a slightly dirty Subway, a broken vending machine somewhere in the distance. Pity, Seulgi felt like grabbing a piece of chocolate.

Irene looked around and shook her head. "Something's not right," she said, starting to walk again, the sound of her shoes clicking and echoing across the room, Seulgi's shoes syncopating the rhythm in which Irene walked on. They walked through and through, getting halfway through that empty catwalk of some sort. No benches or anything, the place was somewhat dead.

Where were those graffiti ridden trains coming? They have to be here, and they have to get to the platform and they didn't have time to lounge around. Especially if the cops were still there.

Click, click.

The cops.

"You think this is still--."

"Shh," Irene hushed quietly, hearing other footsteps beside them. She instantly stopped Seulgi and looked forward, seeing nothing except a poster on the wall, some graffiti and just dirt all around the ground. Until finally a cop emerged with its uniform right from behind that wall, patrolling around--searching for more preys.

"!" Seulgi cursed out and started to take off the other way with Irene following, but the moment they both turned around they saw more cops coming down from the stairs.

"Hey!" one of them shouted, the one behind them probably.

Irene didn't even have time to think before she saw Seulgi jumping off to the tracks. This kid was surely crazy! She thought this was a suicide, but upon seeing her motion her to run...

"," She groaned before dropping to the tracks as well and starting to take off running through the tracks like all living hells, feeling the tracks rumbling beneath their feets and the screams of the officers being prominent. It wasn't because they were behind them, it was because they didn't dare to go through to the tracks just to catch some stupid hoodlums.

And for a miserable salary? Hell no.

The girls ran like hells, finding a small staircase, a platform and a door. They were aiming for that, especially with the train right behind them going a lot faster than them. Irene grabbed Seulgi's arm in fear she'll fall back somehow and dragged her up to the stairs, causing them both to trip and fall forth to the concrete platform with a thud, feeling the train rush past them at the speed of sound. It was quite the long train before it was finally gone, the cacophony of sounds around them finally dissipating and leaving them alone.

Finally, peace and quiet.

They were panting still laying on the ground, Seulgi halfway on top of Irene but too tired to move for now. Irene too was tired to just push the girl away, it's not like she hasn't been this close to Seulgi before.

It was a long time before then though.

Few minutes passed before Irene spoke out, mostly out of concern for the non-moving Seulgi. "Hey, baby, you OK?" She looked up, unable to see Seulgi's face due to her hair covering her view.

Did she just say 'baby'?

Seulgi finally looked up at her and frowned before pushing away and standing up. "I'm fine, don't call me baby," she groaned out, dusting her outfit and wiping the sweat off her face.

Irene frowned and stood up as well, proceeding to do the same. "What's the matter with you? It's just a nickname."

"Well, I hate it, alright?"

The pale woman squinted, starting to walk down the stairs. "You're so ing weird, Seulgi," Irene said, completely aggravated as she started to walk down the tracks, following the path.

Seulgi followed behind obviously, but because she didn't have a choice, but she did have the liberty to roll her eyes in that semi-dark place. "I ain't weird," she mumbled, not wanting to pick a fight again.

They continued to walk further down the tracks, picking up the pace and keeping their ears peeled for another incoming train, keeping an eye on the places they could safely hide from the incoming train.

They kept quiet, but the issue was eating the both of them inside, especially Irene, who was trying really hard to put some logic to what Seulgi's problem was. For this, she couldn't continue to be quiet, but she couldn't explode either.

"What's on your mind, Seulgi?" She said softly, with a familiar and friendly voice this time around. Her voice carried around the empty catacombs. It really made them feel like they had privacy.

"Nothing," Seulgi responded almost instantly her tone as dead as the night itself.

"It isn't nothing Seulgi, you've been chatty all evening and now you want to keep quiet?"

"Why do I wanna speak if you ain't gonna let me talk, like you been doing all night?" Seulgi spat back, glaring at Irene.

Irene kept quiet and continued walking, but her eyes were fully set on Seulgi's, giving her the go to continue talking with her gaze.

"All you do is boss me around, Joonhyung was a better leader to me, he let me talk."

The part was true, Irene was still adjusting to this leadership, and she was doing a good job, but she was not reaching Joonhyung's level of greatness yet, and that would come with time. She felt bad about it of course.

"Sorry," she merely said, without hesitation and without feeling her pride lost in any moment. This was the right to do.

Seulgi huffed, however, not yet content with what she had said. "Hell, you even let that girl Mercy talk more than me. She sure had a lot to say, it wasn't any damn good either, that --."

"Seulgi--."

"All she did was stare at you and eat you up as if you were hers."

Silence...

Seulgi just said something that shocked even her, it made her mad inside because this was not supposed to be said! Did she forget about burying her emotions? Stupid.

Irene cleared for a moment and placed her hand on Seulgi's arm, almost igniting her to start walking faster. "Hey, wait!" She said, picking up the pace as well. "What do you mean by that?!"

"Leave it, Irene, just leave it," Seulgi said, her voice a little shaky out of anger.

"You were envious of me?"

"No!" Seulgi stopped, snapping right at Irene before her eyes went from enraged to completely lost... confused.

Those were the same eyes Irene saw at the pier that one afternoon, before she had to beat Seulgi down.

"You were... envious of Mercy?" She asked softly.

The slim, shirtless girl just stared back at Irene, sighing deeply before she nodded. "Yeah."

"For how long?"

"God knows."

"Why didn't you tell me--."

"Oh yeah, tell you when?!" Seulgi raised her voice, causing Irene to flinch a little. "Right after you beat me up? After you get treated with a lot of respect and love from everyone and I just shouted at you at how much I despise you?!"

Irene kept quiet, for she knew this was the time to listen to the one person who never stopped talking but at the same time never talked in this depth.

"I felt this a long time, but what could I do about that ? Just get angry at it because what the are emotions, man?! In the street no one cares about emotions, it's all about who's the best and , it's tiring me out!"

Seulgi was panting again, feeling her rage--the only fuel she had left--starting to deplete.

"You're tired of that, too?" Irene said softly, breathing in deeply.

"All I want is to... just... understand," Seulgi sighed out. "The moment she saw you I felt a lot of rage, I just could not control it."

"Seulgi, I--."

"And say all of this for what? I was still a to you for no reason, I still think you're a better warlord than I'll ever be, so at the end I'm just a loser--a dumb one that doesn't know what to do. What a pathetic--."

"Seulgi!" Irene shouted, causing the girl to finally shut up. "I understand you."

The angry woman was now coming down with her rage.

"I understand that confusion, 'cause I felt it too. I love you, but you give me such a hard time that I just... want to punch you in the face!"

Seulgi flinched at those words and the genuine rage coming out of them.

"You make it so hard for me to understand why I love you..."

"What?"

Irene sighed and cupped Seulgi's cheek in a sudden move. "I ing love you, Seulgi."

They both stared into one another and for the first time in all these years, they shared the feverish kiss they have been yearning to give one another for ages. They were sloppy but infinitely passionate, savoring each other's lips as Seulgi wrapped her arms around her friend like she was hanging onto her for dear life. That petite woman, that woman was hers, forever and always. She had to be hers, otherwise her world might come to a full stop.

Not a healthy way of thinking, but that was how she felt in this unhealthy world she was in.

Their tongues did not hesitate to meet after a while, but then they both pulled away upon hearing the train from afar--luckily from the other track. But it kept them grounded.

Seulgi looked at her now-lover while her lips, breathing a little erratically. "Do you really love me?"

Irene nodded slowly. "I always felt something for you. I felt safer and content in your presence, I loved being in your house more than mine. Even if your dad is absent all the time, it's better than having such a destructive home. But... you felt like my home."

A small, comfortable silence came about as Irene caressed Seulgi's sore cheek, wiping away the sweat from her forehead and just taking into every tender feature of hers. "I've always wished for us to become great friends like we used to, you know."

"Yeah, me too, but I was just... too pissy."

They both laughed briefly and Irene nodded. "I understand that."

Seulgi smiled a little, finally finding some peace in her heart. "I love you, Irene."

"I love you, too," Irene replied instantly, pecking her lips before sighing and pulling away from her warm embrace. "But for now, you're a soldier and I'm your warlord, so we better get your cute home first."

For the first time in a while, Seulgi laughed with a lighter heart. "Yes, sir."

"Good," Irene then began to walk down the track, with Seulgi right by her side, bumping shoulders playfully as they continued the rest of the way.




It had been a while that they walked down the tracks, finally coming up to the platform they needed to be in, taking a train to Union Square.

Thankfully the train ride was peaceful, with the two of them sitting side to side, Seulgi's head against the wall as she rested briefly. Irene didn't have that luxury yet, but she did have the luxury to place her head on her friend's shoulder, feeling just like home again, it brought her peace and energy after such a long night. But as soon as the train stopped in their station they incorporated themselves and got ready to get down to business.

They felt glad that finally they were in the half-way point of their destination, where they would meet the remaining warriors that haven't gotten busted or hadn't gotten jumped by other gangs. Irene was nervous to see who was missing, but she preferred to know as soon as possible.

Without weapons and nothing but their fist ready, they marched out of the train and through the platform, up the stairs and going through the closed stores around the subway station. Shop for women, snacks, whatever, they were all closed. It was the only reminder of the two soldiers that it was still night time, but perhaps inching closer to the morning.

They marched and looked around, their eyes as sharp as hawks.

"I don't see 'em," Seulgi said softly, still looking around at the desolated station.

"Let's go," Irene softly commanded starting to walk forth, Seulgi tailing behind.

What they didn't know is that not too far behind them was someone watching them, gliding through with skates in almost complete silence.

Almost.

Their ears, sharpened by age and experience, their sense of presence... it all let them both know there was something behind them, but they continued to walk through and through with their chins up.

The hoodlum in skates was just staring at them, following closely and keeping an eye on them.

Somewhere on the platform the boys were waiting for the rest of the girls, unable to sit still and almost afraid of going somewhere in the open. Finally, Joy, Yeri and Wendy all made it down the stairs, finding those familiar faces sporting their uniform.

"Hey, where's... Seulgi and Irene?" Namtae asked once the girls had made it close.

Wendy rubbed her cheek, having been hit by the baton of one lucky police officer. "We don't know."

"Seulgi bumped into a tree and Irene went to save her last time we saw," Joy spoke truthfully.

The boys looked into one another before sighing deeply. "Well, we got big problems."

Yeri cocked her eyebrow up upon noticing Namtae holding his hand in certain pain. "What happened to your hand, man?"

"Well, it's a long story--."

"We decided to hang out with some girls but we found out they're a gang," Baekho truthfully spoke out, watching Peniel look away in a bit of an embarrassment. "They were out to get us too, tried to shoot us and cut Namtae's hand."

Joy couldn't help but to chuckle, Yeri did not fear to leave out a full on laugh, doubling over and hitting Joy's shoulder.

"I told you!" Yeri said between laughter. "You owe me big bucks, knucklehead!"

Joy snorted before going over and slapping Peniel's head. "You really thought that was a good idea?! I ain't hitting you with my bat because I'm saving it--."

"Well, we found out about something," Namtae interrupted. "People think we killed Cyrus."

Everyone froze, looking into one another with confusion and anger.

"We have to look for the girls now, get home quick."

And with that, the small crew began moving forth. Seulgi walked down the stairs to where Irene was standing, closer to the pinball machine and other recreational machines that were lying about. Seulgi could see from the corner of her eye that there were some dudes in stripped shirts and overalls that were keeping their eyes on Irene as she waited.

Naturally, Seulgi walked closer to Irene but didn't even look at the guys, leaning against the machine and looking up at Irene. "They're on our , I don't find the guys anywhere."

"Numbers," Irene softly asked, looking at Seulgi.

For a moment Seulgi gets lost in those eyes before she replies. "Three, one with skates and the other two on foot."

Irene nodded, crossing her arms and also leaning against the pinball machine, leaving out a shaky sigh. "Weapons?"

"I don't see nothin' yet, but I think we can take 'em."

Irene smirked. "You always think we can take on the world."

"Who says we can't?" Seulgi chuckled.

They both chuckled softly before looking up the stairs and finding the familiar silhouettes and the uniforms walking down the steps. Irene had the slightest hint of a smile before she saw their faces, then she turned serious. When they locked gazes with Irene, the pale woman discreetly looked over the stripped boys.

They didn't notice the gang, but their eyes were dead set on Irene's body.

The Warriors looked over and nodded. Baekho tilted his chin up in question and Irene tilted her head in the restroom's direction.

Then, they all walked slowly and almost defeated--with their guards down--right to the restroom.

Irene stared at Seulgi who was perking up straight and rolling her shoulders. "You ready to rumble, baby?"

Seulgi smirked. "Always."