10:30 P.M. | Diversion Base (Somewhere in Los Angeles)

The air is filled with tense silence as the situation dons over them. No one dares to make a move, with the irritation radiating off of a certain blonde, who breaks the strained silence.

“What do you mean she’s gone?!” Seungcheol exclaims, eying them wearily.

“She’s gone” Wonwoo shrugs, earning several glares in the process.

“We think she took the double doors in the back-“ Mingyu supplies.

“Which means she should be in the downtown district by now” Hansol concludes and silence envelopes them shortly after in which Seungcheol sighs, rubbing his hands vigorously over his face while the others stand by, awaiting instruction.

“We have to go after her-“ Soonyoung speaks up finally, words laced with distress, barely batting a lash at the withering look Seungcheol sends his way.

“We have more important things to tend to Soonyoung, and you know that” The elder reminds and Soonyoung looks ready to protest when Wonwoo intervenes, looking every bit contemplative.

“Actually, I’m with Soonyoung on this one. We should go after her.” He suggests and the surprise is evident on everyone’s face. No one says anything as they wait for him to elaborate, because the raven haired boy a tendency to say one thing when he felt another, except for Jeonghan who’s smirking knowingly in the corner.  

“Think of how much good having her with us could do. Sure, she can’t hold a gun to save her life nor can she properly defend herself-“

Soonyoung shoots the darker haired boy a withering glare at that, unsure if the latter was arguing for or against Kelsey, but Wonwoo continues, ignoring the blonde.

“But if we’re looking for a safer way to go about things. She’s exactly what we need.” He states firmly, and everyone is nodding in agreement at this point, because it makes sense, but Seongcheol is shaking his head, ready to protest further.

“He knows all of us, but he doesn’t know her” Jeonghan points out abruptly and that’s all it takes to have Seungcheol sighing in defeat, because it’s a good point.

“Fine” He relents, ignoring Soonyoung’s bright smile that follows.

“Those of us heading to the main base will take the left exit, the rescue team will take the double doors and head into downtown to get the girl. Wonwoo will lead the rescue team”

To everyone’s surprise, the raven haired boy doesn’t complain.

“I want to go-“

“Soonyoung, your injuries will only get worse if-“ Jeonghan reminds him, a frown marring his usually serene features, while Junhui and Mingao turn to regard him, worry etched onto their features also.

“I don’t care. I’m going.” It’s firm, Soonyoung’s reply, and he’s already walking, half limping to stand behind Wonwoo.

“Anyone else?” Seungcheol asks and there’s a small pause before everyone’s eyes widen in disbelief when Jisoo steps forward, face flushed from the attention.

“I’ll go” He says simply.

“Jisoo, you too?” Jeonghan eyes him in incredulity, shaking his head in disapproval, but Jisoo just offers a small, warm smile meant to be assuring before turning and leaving to gather some medical supplies.  

“Okay, now that everything is established. Rescue team, go get the girl, and meet us at the docks by eleven. If something goes wrong, call Hansol or Mingyu for backup, they’re taking the streets. Mingao, Jun, Jeonghan, and I are heading back to base.”

Jeonghan looks on wordlessly as the group disburses, how Wonwoo’s hands are clenched tightly in fists at his side as he disappears down the nearest hallway, the way Hansol and Mingyu are shoving each other over the last piece of Jerky, Seongcheol is having a poor attempt at a hushed argument with someone over the phone, and how Soonyoung tries bite back any traces of pain whenever he so much as moves as he brushes Jun and Minghao’s concerns off. There’s a bad feeling creeping in the pit of his gut, but he shakes it off, heading to the medical ward to nag Jisoo further.  

_ _ _ 

10:30 P.M. | Downtown Los Angeles

Kelsey awakens to dimness, the air heavy with somberness. She doesn’t quite remember falling asleep, but she figures it couldn’t have been for too long since she still felt exhausted, or maybe, until the purge was officially over the weariness would cling to her like this. Her limbs feel heavy, but not as heavy as her heart. She clenches her eyes shut then, replaying the conversation that had taken place just moments before.

“I’m dying”

It’s a murmur and Kelsey has to lean in to hear it, but almost immediately, she regrets it because she can see just how drained Brad looks, pale and dying. The thought makes her heart ache, but with the way they’re splayed out in front of the fireplace, Brad finally cleaned of all the blood he had been drenched in, her reaching for his hand and him, clasping hers tightly, it hits her then- how cold he is, despite the heat dancing on both of their skin from the fire.

She slips her eyes closed then, leaning heavily on his shoulder and he squeezes her hand, for what she doesn’t know will be the last time.

Neither of them say “I love you”, because deep down they both knew they wouldn’t have meant it.

The door creaks open, successfully breaking her recollection, a pepper haired lady with her hair pulled into a tight bun peaking in, smile somber as she enters. Kelsey’s smile is a little shaky in return, but she gratefully lets the woman cradle her hands as she seats herself on the bed.

“He passed a few minutes go. Richard is burying him out back.”  She informs gently.

“I know. I just-… When I woke up I had a feeling-“ Kelsey bites back a fresh wave of tears.

The woman doesn’t say she is sorry, but Kelsey doesn’t want her to because sometimes death is looked at as more appealing on a night like this, where survival should be preferred, but Brad had been suffering, and whenever she thinks of just how much she’s gone through in less than four hours, she figures he’s in a much better place, but after the twelve hours is up she knows she probably won’t feel the same. First, she thinks as she wipes away stray tears, she has to survive this night- no, she will.

“I will leave you to yourself. Feel free to use the bathroom, splash some water on your face. It will make you feel better.” The woman, Pamela, smiles kindly before standing and taking her leave.

The silence that follows is deafening and only to rid herself of her discomfort of being left alone with her scattered thoughts and bitter sadness does she head into the bathroom, tucked into the corner of the room. She’s splashing water onto her face when she hear it, voices yelling and arguing back and forth and she winces, jumping and knocking her knee against the cabinet at a particular pitchy shout. Kelsey recognizes it to be Pamela and her husband, Richard going back and forth, voices only slightly muffled and she hesitates in front of the mirror, not wanting to meddle in the couple’s affairs.

They had been kind enough to offer she and Brad refugee in their spacious apartment when they came banging frantically on the door, courtesy of the horror’s they had witnessed (and luckily, managed to evade) downtown. They had been kind and understanding, trying to administer whatever aid they could to Brad, while assuring Kelsey it was safe here, in the apartment. The pair appeared to be smitten with each other, Pamela with her peppered hair and crinkly eyed smile and Richard with his equally peppered beard and seemingly permanently flushed face, but-

when Kelsey hears the sound of violent banging, and more screeching that has her flinching at the volume of it, she wonders, what exactly did she miss? Had there been some bad blood between the pair that she hadn’t noticed before? More importantly, what should she do?

For reasons unknown to her, her mind flashes to Soonyoung and Wonwoo, whose black shirt still hangs loosely on her frame. They had been so confident, so sure in themselves and Kelsey wishes she could be that way, self-assured, always knowing what to do, but she thinks, as she rubs gently at the bruised skin of her neck, she’s just alone and afraid on the night of the annual Purge and there’s nothing assuring about it. Images flash through her mind then, of Soonyoung guiding them out of the warehouse, running behind Mingyu to the safe house, the crazed look in the chainsaw wielding man’s eyes as he had chased them, the undecipherable looks Wonwoo had given her, and it’s with these is mind that she exits the bathroom, heading straight into the living room.

The sight that greets her has her stopping dead in her tracks, her blood running cold. Pamela is standing in the kitchen, a bloody bat held loosely in her hand as she stands in a pile of blood, Richard’s blood. She pauses, sighing heavily, before bringing the bat down once, twice, several times on his corpse, smashing his face in and Kelsey looks away at that, a sickening crunching sound resonates as the bat connects with his battered flesh.  She stops then, abruptly, as if just now noticing the younger’s presence and when she glances up from beneath peppered bangs there’s no trace of the Pamela that had opened the door with welcoming smiles.

“I guess it’s just me and you now” She says simply, as if she’s not standing in a puddle of her own husband’s blood.

She smiles then and the emptiness of it makes Kelsey’s stomach lurch as she screams, scrambling back into the bedroom. Her heart is racing, hands shaky as she fumbles with the windowsill. The chill of the night hits her bare face as she shoves her head out of the window, a painful reminder that she’s in a three story building, too high to jump.  

“Help! Somebody help me, please!-” She screams as loud as she can, throat going raw, until the door to the bedroom clicks closed and she stumbles, almost falling out of the window.

Slowly, hesitantly she turns to find Pamela eying her with a blank expression, but the bat is no longer clutched in her hands, instead Kelsey’s eyes widen when she recognizes a box of matches, lighter fluid, and a gun.

“Please” Kelsey’s not even sure what she’s pleading for, but it proves fruitless as the elder woman dispenses the fluid, throwing it onto the bed, moving back to her initial spot, pointing the gun at the younger as she lights the match.

Kelsey squeezes her eyes shut, in silent prayer, as Pamela tosses the match, flames erupting and the heat dancing across her skin as Pamela raises the gun, steadily taking aim, before pulling the trigger, a shot ringing out in the midst of the crackling fire.

_ _ _

“So, do you like her?-“

Wonwoo rolls his eyes at Soonyoung’s curious gaze, eyes twinkling with mirth as he leans back in the passenger seat.

“Because you never stick your neck out for anyone like that-“

“Unless their name is Kim Mingyu” Jisoo adds, rather unhelpfully Wonwoo thinks, from the backseat and briefly, he wonders when the brunette became playful enough to engage in Soonyoung’s mischief.

Soonyoung grins at Jisoo in the rear view mirror, who returns it with crinkled eyes, and Wonwoo can’t help but think the blonde is such a bad influence on the elder.  

“I can’t like someone I don’t even know. It’s Purge night, we have things to do, now shut up and look for the girl.” He snaps, hands tight on the steering wheel, ready to stop and toss both the blonde and brunette out of the vehicle.

Surprisingly, it’s silent after that, the only sound coming from the engine as they speed down the downtown streets.

“Hey, slow down!” Soonyoung exclaims suddenly and Wonwoo obeys, following his gaze to a three story apartment building tucked in the middle of two abandoned buildings.

“Help! Somebody help me, please!-”

“It’s her! It’s Kelsey!”

True enough in the direction of the blonde’s frantic pointing is said girl, head poked out of a window on the third floor, frantically crying out and Wonwoo doesn’t waste any time as he hastily puts the car in park, shoving the door open, racing toward the building.

“Wonwoo!” Soonyoung calls out after him, but it’s already too late, the building is set aflame and the younger has already disappeared inside.

_ _ _

(A/N): Thank you all so much for the comments/supscriptions/upvotes. They mean a lot. I do take all of my comments into consideration, especially the constructive ones, so I did try to tone down the description in this chapter. Let me know how I did! If I toned it down too much or need to tone it down some more, let me know. (Spoiler?) The next chapter is the big reveal, why is Seventeen out on Purge night? Also, Wonwoo to the rescue! Thank you again, hope you enjoyed this chapter! :)