Seungri and Sandara kept running after the bullet hit Seungri’s phone. They kept weaving in and out of crowds but Seungri wanted to get cover. He didn’t want those bastards hitting any civilians, so he led Sandara through alleyways and side streets. He knew he was bleeding out, quickly. Good thing his shirt was camouflaging all the blood, he thought to himself as they rushed to cross the street. He could feel his strength running out but he was determined to keep going. He just needs to keep Sandara safe until his team could rescue them.

They rushed to another alley and he cursed when he found a dead end. He studied their options. He was hesitant to run back the way they came but he also didn’t like the idea that they’d be sitting ducks here.

“Seungri.” Sandara called his attention and pointed to a boarded up doorway.

He nodded and immediately set to work to create an opening big enough for Sandara to go through. As he ushered her inside, he kept his senses sharp.

Seungri entered the dilapidated building and listened for any movement. Sensing nothing, they made their way deeper into the darkened rooms. He found a spot that would keep them hidden and where he could still keep watch. His shoulder tinged again in pain so he tried to focus on something else.

“Sandara, I want you to stay here alright? Stay here and don’t move a muscle.” Seungri instructed as he moved some crates around to help shield Sandara from detection.

“You’re leaving me?” Sandara asked fearfully.

“I just want you to hide.” Seungri whispered. “I need to find a way to get in touch with HQ or to make sure they’re not following us.”

“Stay here with me.” Sandara begged. “Jiyong will find us. He promised.”

“Of course. GD hyung won't let anything happen to us.” He assured her. “He’ll miss me too much if I die.. and you.. well, I think he'll miss you just as much or maybe even more even if you practically just met. You know, this is the first time I've seen Ji  hyung like this. He’s different with you..”

“Don't talk about dying..” Sandara begged. “Please..”

“Fine. We'll continue this later. I need to check -”

“But you're hurt!” She objected. “I should be the one -”

“I’m trained for this, Sandara.” Seungri told her. He knew they were wasting time arguing. So with a silent curse, he pulled her closer to him. “Fine. Stay close. Keep your eyes peeled.”

They wandered through the rooms, going up two floors. Seungri knew he needed to find a secure spot for them. With the damage to his shoulder and the blood loss, he’s not going to be of much use in a while. If he was on his own, he could have risked it.. but with Sandara.. He can’t take any unnecessary risks. He needed to find a space that would provide him optimum vantage point and sufficient coverage.

They turned a corner and he came face-to-face with a barrel of a gun.  

What happened next was a series of moments too fast for Sandara to accurately see and follow. One moment, Seungri was pushing her back from where they just came from the next he was grappling with a man.

Sandara looked around the room, looking for escape, for something to help Seungri, for Jiyong!

She saw the assailant drop his gun and Seungri tried to pick it up but the other man kicked it away where it was lost in the darkness.

I need to get the gun. Sandara thought as she inched her way to the general location. I need to get Seungri that gun.

She crouched down and tried to feel for the gun. The next thing she knew, Seungri was thrown towards a stack of crates which collapsed around him.  The other man calmly picked him up and threw him on the floor, free of the debris. Then he started kicking him. She saw Seungri try to fight back but she knew he was hurting. He was already bleeding even before they encountered this man.

Her eyes caught the pile of wood, haphazardly piled around the round. She stood and went to get one. She just needed to get the man away from Seungri. Maybe she could hit him hard enough to stun him and give them a chance to get away.

Reaching the pile, her hand was somehow drawn to a thinner piece of wood rather than the weightier pieces. The one she took resembled a thin baseball bat.

Refusing to question her gut, she grabbed the wood and carefully rushed to the man who was still kicking poor Seungri. Holding the piece of wood with two hands, she raised it over her shoulder and struck the man at the side of his head, quickly followed by another strike to his torso.

By this time, the man focused on her and she twisted around him to land another hit on his side. She raised her hands again to strike, but the man raised his arm and blocked her makeshift sword.

Over the ringing in her ears due to the adrenaline and fear, she could hear another sound in her mind. Wood against wood. Wood against leather. Feet stomping on wooden floors. Then there was shouting. So much shouting. She felt a shiver run up her spine.

In her distraction, the man was able to push her away or more accurately, he managed to toss her away from him. Her makeshift sword, clattering uselessly on the ground. Her body skidded on the floor from where she landed and still she could hear the stomping, the sounds of something striking something. She closed her eyes as she tried to block out the sounds or maybe she was trying to focus. She’s not entirely sure.

The shiver she felt earlier, have now spread throughout her entire body. She wrapped her arms around herself as if that action would actually keep her together.

All she knew was, she was trapped. Trapped in a world of unknown sounds and unclear sights.

In her confused state, her mind shouted for one person.  Jiyong!

______________________

As soon as they received the possible location from Seunghyun, Jiyong, Youngbae and Daesung all ran towards the location.

Seunghyun spotted what could have been Seungri rushing towards an alleyway. He called HQ and Chanhyuk, one of the ‘tech supports’  on duty today at HQ, confirmed that there was an abandoned building at the end of the road. He warned TOP that the alley led to a dead-end and by all accounts the building should have been closed off.

That’s how they knew Seungri would go there. He’d go there to either hide, strategize or plan an ambush.

Seunghyun was unfortunately on the other side of the road and had to turn back around, costing him minutes in traffic. Even bad- men on a mission can’t just violate traffic laws in full view of the general public and escape unscathed. That would just cause them more problems and since they didn’t know what they were dealing with, he turned around rather than cutting through street traffic and pedestrians as he wanted.

He still reached the building a good minute before Jiyong and the rest. By that time, he has cleared the front end of the building and was rushing inside.

Jiyong and Youngbae caught up with him just as he came back from clearing the back end of the first floor.

By the time Daesung joined them, he was paired with Seunghyun to clear the second floor while Jiyong and Youngbae proceeded to the third.

That’s when they heard the sounds of a scuffle. They rushed towards the direction of the noise and they entered the room just as Seungri launched himself towards a masked man who seemed to have been approaching Sandara.

Youngbae immediately jumped into the fray. Getting the masked man away from Seungri and doing what he does best.

Jiyong rushed to Sandara to check on her. She was shivering and sweating at the same time but she was otherwise unharmed. He heard Seungri groan so he reluctantly left Sandara’s side to make sure their maknae was okay.

The poor guy obviously received a beating. Blood was staining his shoulder and trailing down the back of his shirt and his sleeve.

He removed his shirt and bunched it against Seungri’s wound. “Hyung.. Sandara..”

“She’s okay, as far as I can see.” Jiyong assured him. “Help is on it’s way. You did good, rat.”

“Knew you’d kill me if she got hurt.” Seungri joked weakly.

Daesung came to join them. “Med evac is here.” He helped Seungri up, holding him up as well. Jiyong allowed Daesung to take over trying to staunch the blood from Seungri’s wound.

Kim Jinwoo, followed by Lee Seunghoon, came to them. “We parked as close as possible but since this building isn’t really accessible, we have to walk a bit. We told Jinhwan and Yunhyeong to move towards the entrance of the alleyway so that we’re shielded from the masses.” Jinhwan and Yunhyeong are originally security field agents who expressed interest in becoming medics. They’re working their way towards certification and are currently interning under the medical team.

“Hyung, let’s take a look at the damage.” Seunghoon added but Seungri rebuffed him, insisting that whatever they had to do could wait until he was at HQ or at least inside the van.

Seunghyun approached Youngbae who was already securing the man. “Do we take him with us to HQ?”

“We might need to call in reinforcements.” Youngbae commented as he unmasked the man, who was now glaring daggers at them. The man seemed like he was in his late twenties - early thirties and when Youngbae yanked off his mask, parts of his neck and shoulder revealed what he easily recognized as irezumi, tattoos done in the Japanese style that many believe are marks of the Yakuza.

“Call Eun Jiwon from Interpol.” Jiyong ordered as he crouched down next to Sandara with Jinwoo beside him. Special Agent Eun Jiwon is their preferred contact in that branch of law enforcement. The guy was their senior in special forces training. He got recruited by the organization almost as soon as his mandatory military service was over. He’s one of the best agents there is and Big Bang trusts him completely. Jiyong only debated briefly about getting in touch with the man, but his thirst for justice and truth won out over doubts. This was something obviously beyond their reach. Whether in their missions for the governments or their cases for their clients, it was always clear who the bad guys were, even if they don’t know the identities yet. They never accept cases or missions where innocents are compromised or where their participation will help crime and injustice in some way. This time, they don’t know what they’re up against. They don’t know why. All Jiyong knows is that Sandara and Seungri are innocent in all this. They needed to focus on Sandara and Seungri. “Ask him if he wants us to keep him here or if we should bring him with us to HQ first. Keep the info on Sandara to the minimum.”

“Copy that.” Youngbae answered. “Don’t worry about it. We’ll handle this and follow you guys to HQ after.”

“Sandara.” Jiyong called out, touching her arm. “I’m here.. You’re safe now. I got you. Sandara, come back to me.” When she remained unresponsive, he gently picked her up and cradled her within his arms. He continued to call out to her as he followed Seungri, Daesung, Seunghoon and Jinwoo to the medical vans. “Sandara..I need you to open your eyes, baby girl.. Sandara..”

______________________

“Sandara.”

“Jiyong is here!” Sandara thought as soon as she heard his voice. “We’re safe now, Seungri.”

“-dara, come back to me.”

Sandara frowned wondering what Jiyong was talking about. She was right here.

“-dara.. Eyes.. Baby girl.