A soft grunt rumbled down as she pried her head up. The movement sent jolts of pain through her muscles, mainly her neck and lower back. She whimpered and froze, not daring to move further and worsen the agony. Slowly and steadily she felt more spots all over her frame feeling sore, stinging or aching. Her breathing hitched at the incoming shocks of pain, that felt like sharp punches. Her mind was still hazed, but the high pitched tone in her ears started to die out. Instead other sounds could reach her ears. Voices, both female and male, either whispering or shouting. She recognised emotions vaguely, until another bolt ran from one temple to the other.

Visions returned. Not from the present, but the recent past. She was walking down the street, back home from grocery shopping. She recalled the feeling of someone following her and had picked up her pace. But it was futile. Before she could even run, she was surrounded. There were 3 young men and a woman. She had no chance at winning, nor escape. But she wouldn’t give in easily, because by no means was she a normal person. And they knew. It was the exact reason why they had business with her. Her attempt at escape was rather tragic.

With barely one step, she was tripped. Shifting her balance she managed to get back to her feet, but received a blow in her lower back. The pain froze her, unabling her of even letting out a cry. The rest of it was hazy. There were scattered fragments of repeatedly falling and standing up, covering her face with her arms to protect herself from incoming attacks and doing futile attempts in returning a blow. Chances of escape were gone. There was a last blow to the back of her head and… the memories ended.

Her eyes were closed, she knew. A certain amount of courage was needed to pry them open. And she had gathered it and attempted it. Why was everything still dark? Why wouldn’t they lift and return the light to her eyes? A bubble of panic started to grow in her chest, sending a crawling sensation of fear all over her skin. She felt her arms behind her and commanded movement. But it couldn’t go far. The rough, stinging surface of what she presumed to be rope had restrained both hands. Even her legs were strapped against a smooth cold surface. And despite the pain, she still tried to escape.

“It’s useless Dog,” a voice rang, with an eerie echo chasing the original shout.

Every motion halted, her ears perked trying to take in all all the sounds. It was the only sense she could rely on now. The pain numbed her feeling and her eyes were blinded.

“Now you’re awake…” It was a male, she realised finally.

“See!” she heard someone hiss, unsure of the gender. “She’s not dead.”

“You’re lucky. That blow was no joke.” she heard the low voice of a male.

“Yeah, Hyejoon. You could have at least used your hands instead of a pipe.”

A pipe?

“Hey I didn’t hit her that hard.” a female retorted.

“Will you shut up already?” the obviously annoyed first voice interrupted.

A few seconds passed without anyone speaking. And then the first male spoke again.

“You’re going to talk, Dog.” he declared. “How many men does Bang Yongguk have?”

Yongguk? She remained silent and it lasted for a good while. Her perception of time was hazy, but it was long enough to send a message. She refused to respond.

“Ahn Saenan, 21, orphan, goes by the name of… The Loyal Dog.” It was another voice this time. “The only female in B.A.P.’s inner circle.”

“Now tell me, Ahn Saenan, why would someone physically so average, be part of the inner circle of a great gang in the city?” This time it was the first guy again. “What makes you so… special?”

Her lips folded inwards and she sealed them by lightly biting down on them. Seeing this, she hoped to make clear that she wouldn’t talk. But the questions continued.

“You’re not talking, little Dog?” she heard the voice again, this time unexpectedly close.

The voice was right beside her ear when he spoke again and she could even feel a presence to her right. “We’ll get our answers, Saenan. One way or another.”

If she could, she would have jumped at the fingers trailing down her cheeks and cupping her chin. It was limited to a quiver. With a painful jerk her head was tilted upwards and the voice spoke again. This time she could even feel puffs of breath trail along her skin.

“Just talk, Ahn Saenan. It will save us the trouble and you the pain.”

The hands released and she heard another question. This time there was no patience in the voice and she could hear shifting of feet, clothes and even steps around her.

“How many men does Yongguk have under him.”

This time, she did respond. “Asks who?”

She received an immediate reply to that question, just not by words. She felt something clash against the chair she’d been strapped to. The impact was big enough to snap her neck backwards painfully, but throw her weight to the front. The fall was curved and her left shoulder collided with the hard concrete first, decreasing the blow to her head. She let out a cry in agony as the chair fell to its side, leaving her weight fully on her shoulder. She shivered and bit down on her lower lip harshly. It hurt. It hurt so much.

“That’s enough. If we cause more damage, Yongguk will have our heads.” a new voice joined.

“Dump her. She’s not talking.” the familiar voice ordered.

For some reason, Saenan was relieved. They’d let her go. She could go home. And while her limbs were released from their restraints, she heard another voice. “I guess she is The Loyal Dog for a reason. She might bite her own tongue off if the situation required it.”

They dragged her along, not taking her injuries into consideration. Her blindfold was still on, her hands tied. Only her legs were released, but she had no strength to support herself. She was forced into the car a while ago, maybe a minute or ten had passed. She didn’t know. Although she wasn’t as hazy and confused as earlier, her mind was far from clear. The buzzing of the car stopped at some point and she was too concentrated on listening to her captors’ conversation, trying to make out where they were going and what they were planning with her. To her dismay, they only joked around and argued.

The collar of her shirt tightened around her neck and she felt knuckles graze against her chest as she was pulled forward harshly. Since her eyes were covered, Saenan couldn’t anticipate the height of the car, resulting in her stumbling. The fist holding her clothes kept her knees from smashing against the tiles and she managed to pry herself back onto her feet. She felt two hands scrape against hers as the restraints were removed. She raised her hands to touch the cloth that blinded her and pulled it off. Her eyes were opened immediately, which she regretted that same moment. The light stung in her eyes, sending more agonising jolts along her forehead to her head.

Her blurry vision started to sharpen and despite the pain she kept blinking. She heard the shuffling steps around her. Heels clicked against the stone and soon the car sped away before she could even see her captors. The quick movement of her body to turn around a 180 degrees was the cause of her losing her balance. Her legs were too weak to catch the movement. There was a wall nearby to catch her fall, but the impact of her sore shoulder against the bricks extracted a painful wince.

Leaning her weight against the wall, she pushed herself forward with careful steps. Every one of them was enough to make her scream, so she had no choice but to take her tongue in between her teeth keeping the voice inside her. It took her long to reach the other end of the alley and the sun was already setting. Slowly she wondered where she was and how much time it would take for the boys to find her. Would she get home in time to stop them from thrashing the neighbourhood, or worse the whole city.

The headache and miserable body distracted her from being aware of her surroundings. All Saenan could think of was to keep on walking and to not fall, because of the possibility of not being able to stand up again. She was unaware of the people surrounding her and closing in on her the closer she got to the other side. The alleyway was linked left and right to more narrow ones. From time to time she had to gamble a jump and reach the next wall, without falling. It took effort and it took tolerance to the pain. It also took her attention away. Right before the end and her way to a busier street she saw a shadow spread down to the floor.

A flame of hope sparked within her as she lifted her head, expecting to see a familiar figure. The flame seemed to flicker and shrink when she didn’t recognise the face and even more when she read the expression. Instead of stepping forward, her hand was placed back a little firmly against the wall, taking her body along. Rustling and tapping sounds behind her made her glance over her shoulder to find another figure as well. They closed in on her, eying her with a wicked gaze and lips crooked in a disgusting sneer. She had nowhere to go. The man in front of her was big and tall enough to grant her no passage and the alleyway behind her was too deep to flee back into. She’d be caught in seconds, considering her condition and theirs.

They were just steps away from her when the flame shrunk even more. A few people passed by, her eyes even met theirs, but they quickly looked away continuing their original paths. They ignored her. They ignored the scene. The flame flickered again, almost dying out. Her breathing hitched, she froze. Was there a chance for escape? No. She couldn’t even run. She could hardly walk let alone push them. Fear crept up to her and she wasn’t even able to process their words or their voices. All she could hear was the tone. It disgusted her. It terrified her.

Only a step away, she could feel the warmth of their bodies. She could smell the nauseating odours they whiffed. Then she felt a hand on her shoulder, another one at her back. Her eyes closed, blocking out the views and gathering all her strength for one last resort. One last scream. Her lungs emptied and she felt her own voice straining her vocal chords. She felt her like was being ripped, like the air leaving her choked her. She felt her chest ache and her muscles scream in agony. Every fiber of her body was put into that scream.

It didn’t last, however, because a hand covered . Smothering her, reducing her voice to a mere hum. She was pushed against the wall and her arms were grabbed. Her teeth closed around the bony hand strongly. She heard a scream and the metal taste of blood filled . She felt a liquid run down her lips and assumed it was blood. A blow against the right side of her head smacked it against the wall. Her vision grew blurry and almost out. Her headache worsened, breathing seemed impossible. But she could hear.

Fabric ripped, the cold stone against her bare skin. She felt hands on her and her head fell backwards as her feet shoveled the ground, in a futile attempt to escape through the wall. There was no escape. The flame flickered one last time and the smoke was all that seemed to be left behind. Or so she thought. She heard footsteps and a blow. Her eyes opened and although her vision was not clear yet, she recognised the build. Four others had arrived. Three in an intense battle and one near her. If the presence wasn’t familiar she’d have let herself fall to the ground in defeat. There was nothing else she’d be able to do.

But it wasn’t. She knew him. She knew the arms that tugged her arms carefully inside the sleeves of the leather jacket. And she knew the concerned and furious face that stared up at her as he kneeled and zipped it up. With a small smile in relief, her body gave in and she fell. The arms that wrapped around her and the scent that filled her nostrils were comforting. They were familiar. They found her. She was safe.

It had been a few hours earlier, the morning sun had only just risen, when a cold morning breeze invaded the room through the door to let out a single figure. Two out of seven were awake. The first being the one to leave the house and the second was the eldest who usually rose early. It had been a morning routine like any other day. It was usually the mornings that were the most peaceful. The loud ones were sleeping like angels and the city was the most serene then.

A few words were exchanged before she closed the door behind her and left Yongguk in the silence of the morning. He was somewhat nervous, that day. They would be updated on the rankings and rumours of the new rising group had reached his ears as well. He hadn’t shared this information with anyone but Himchan, knowing that he needed someone to confide in. That and the fact that his best friend would probably beat the living daylights out of him if he didn’t share this.

Slowly the other five started to wake up and the last to join them in the living room was the male with dark blonde hair, which had been wet at that moment. He wore a black tanktop and a cream towel around his shoulders with his right hand holding onto one hand, while the other held his Samsung to his face, his thumb sliding on the screen from time to time. He looked up when his name was called by the black haired standing at the kitchen counter.

“Daehyun-ah, eggs or cereal?”

“Eggs!” he responded almost immediately, louder than needed. “Toast too hyung!”

Himchan eyed him as he requested something he hadn’t named. “We don’t have…”

“Youngjae’s eating it!” he interrupted, while he received a blank glare from said raven haired at the table.

“Make it yourself then.” Himchan cut short, satisfied at the whining noise coming from him.

“Where’s Saenan, she’d make me some.” he mumbled under his breath.

“You wish.” Youngjae snorted.

“Yeah hyung, noona would leave you to make your own breakfast altogether.” the second youngest spoke with an amused smile.

Daehyun grunted as he dropped four slices of bread into the toaster and sat down while the youngest poured him a glass of milk. “No but really, where is she?”

“Shopping.” a deep voice rang in the kitchen.

The eldest walked through the door into the kitchen and opened the fridge to take a bottle of water. Daehyun’s eyes were still focussed on his phone’s screen as he replied with a hum. Moments later the two youngest washed the dishes as the others assembled into the living room scattering over the couches, the rug on the floor or in Youngjae’s case, the dark blue bean bag the two youngest shared.

Yongguk glanced at his watch for the second time since breakfast had ended. It was almost noon, when the rankings would be updated. Usually she’d be home by then, waiting for the results together. Although it was probably obvious, there was still a nervous air hanging in the house. He glanced out of the window, staring at the familiar scenery of a rundown neighbourhood with almost empty streets. Two figures wandered about, none of them being familiar to him.

“There’s only ten minutes left.” Youngjae noted as he threw the peel of mandarin on the table.

“I’ll call her, there might be a traffic jam.” Daehyun suggested as he tapped twice at his phone and held it to his ear.

The two others joined them in the living room as well and eyed the dark blonde with anticipation. Everyone’s nerves were on edge, especially when the results would be revealed soon. It only increased when Daehyun’s eyebrows creased and he glanced at his phone again shortly before tapping it and returning the device to his ear. It was completely silent inside the house but also around the neighbourhood. He dialed again and Zelo eyed Himchan nervously, while Jongup and Youngjae shared glances.

“She’s not picking up.” Daehyun spoke in a soft voice, glaring a hole in his device as he also took note of the time. “7 minutes left.”

“Maybe it’s on silent and she’s not paying attention?” Jongup asked with little confidence in his voice.

“No, it’s always on vibrate.” Daehyun responded as he placed the device against his ear again.

“She’s still not picking up?” Himchan asked as he held his phone in his hand waiting for the light to start blinking.

“No, it’s her voicemail.”

“Five minutes.” Youngjae noted, taking a glance at Yongguk who glanced at his watch again.

Right then different sounds of phones rang through the room and everyone hastily took out theirs, unlocking it. Faces fell as eyes widened staring at their respective screens. Himchan shot up grabbing Daehyun’s phone only to find the exact same picture on his phone. Zelo and Jongup showed theirs to Youngjae as Yongguk’s eyes fell on their screens from behind them.

There was a picture of the girl’s side profile sent through the application, everyone participating in the ‘game’ was required to have. She wore the jeans and navy sweater with white collar and white back Yongguk had seen her wear when she left the house. There was a wide scarf draped over her shoulders as she carried a white plastic bag in her hand and her phone in the other. The words underneath caused a cold chill to run down Yongguk’s back.

‘A captured stray Dog. BAP’s Loyal Dog.’

“Hyung.” Zelo’s voice was the first to break the silence.

“Daehyun and Himchan stay here, the others go with me.” Yongguk ordered, receiving a simple nod in return. “Himchan get group A and P out, Daehyun find out who did this.”

And before Daehyun could complain, the door closed behind the four. He stared in silence for a while, before hearing another notification from his phone as it buzzed in his hand. He brought the device up, unlocked the screen and tapped on the notification finding the ranks of that month. His nerves didn’t calm down after seeing the message and announcement. But he could care less about the ranking right then, the black haired beside him couldn’t agree more as he read the message.

-- Announcement --

The addition of Rookies, BTS. Their points have topped Secret, taking their place as the 5th rank. The edited Ranking list of 2014 is as following.

Rankings 2014

1. BlockB - 12.039

2. BAP - 11.697

3. B.E.G. - 10.053

4. MI.O - 9.219

5. BTS - 8.893

First they found her bag, phone and groceries scattered on the streets when Daehyun tracked her phone. It took them a whole day of searching to find her after that. Jongup had heard her cries and contacted the others. They retrieved her moments after that. Yongguk had recognised them and it seemed like the others did too. When he walked away from her after passing her over to Youngjae, he felt a tug on his sleeve. The hold made his clothing tremble and a glance over his shoulder infuriated him even more. But he let out a sigh and his shoulders slumped.

The dark haired dropped to his knees, holding his arms backwards. Youngjae and Jongup helped the battered female on their leader’s back and with some help she managed to stay on it. They silently turned around and started to walk out of the alley way, leaving the two unconscious men behind as they suffered from their injuries. Zelo glanced back into the alleyway scanning it shortly, right before making a move to follow. Yongguk made a mental note to confirm his suspicions and to finish his business with their leader.

Himchan had contacted his sister’s clinic, who took them in. After patching up the girl, she sent the group home with extra bandages, not forgetting to scold her younger brother for their reckless behaviour. They returned home in silence and were received by Daehyun, who seemed like he was pacing around the room for the last hour, if not even longer. He stared at her for a while when she was seated on the couch.

Saenan’s arms were bandaged around her elbows and knees. Her left wrist, left ankle and head were wrapped as well. Upon request, he brought her to her room and let her rest while Zelo accompanied her until she fell asleep. The other five discussed the events of that day and whatever they found out while searching for her. When Zelo joined them after making sure Saenan seemingly slept, she focussed on the conversation on the other side of the wall.

“We can’t be sure they’re the same group.” a voice she recognised as Youngjae’s reached her ears.

“I agree with Youngjae, it doesn’t match up. She couldn’t have run away with those injuries. These MPire goons most likely encountered her later.” Daehyun agreed.

“The message was all over the board. They saw a chance to rise up in the ranks.” Youngjae continued.

“All they wanted was to humiliate her… and us,” Daehyun speculated.

“What rank are they currently?” Yongguk asked after a short moment of silence.

“17.” Himchan replied. “I agree with Daehyun and Youngjae here.”

“Then… who was it?” the voice of the youngest resounded.

The six men stared at the picture on the screen of Daehyun’s samsung with the caption underneath, that had caused the ruckus earlier.

“I don’t know,” was the leader’s response. “But I will find out.”