“So Chaeyoung, what’s the big deal? I didn’t know we had cause for a celebration.” Dahyun’s voice reached Chaeyoung’s ears, and she could hear the teasing in her tone as she turned around to face the grinning beauty.

“Hardly,” Chaeyoung rebutted, earning a playful pout from Dahyun before turning back to face the empty road, “What with Tzuyu and Lisa, along with the closure of the Dominoes near our house. Besides -”

“It closed? What the hell Chaeyoung, do you not understand the level of importance this registers on the Kim Dahyun Disaster Level? It’s a rank 8, you -”

“I told you already, you poobag” Chaeyoung shoved Dahyun’s mouth away from her face, hoping she didn’t go partially deaf in one ear. She had enough problems to deal with, and a deafened ear will not be one of them. “I told you barely 2 days ago, during Math class when we finished our work. Dahyun, how do you not remember? You’re the human machine, for goodness sake.”

At this accusation, Dahyun gave a tiny smile before turning away, trying to mask her nervous lip bite. Chaeyoung could see the worry in her eyes, the pain and fear she only showed when she thought no one was looking. Chaeyoung exchanged knowing looks with Sana, who shrugged in defeat and mouthed “You need to help her.” Chaeyoung gave her the thumbs up, before turning back to open the gate to her house.

“I must have zoned out that day, I’m sorry.” Dahyun flashed a reassuring smile, but it didn’t put comfort in their hearts- on the contrary it made suspicion and worry fill their minds, worried at the dangers Dahyun was facing alone.

“And besides,” Dahyun muttered as she looked up at the 5-story mansion looming over her “I will never stop being in awe of your house.”

“You’ve seen it since young, head. You telling me you’ve been amazed at me for 10 plus years?” Chaeyoung gave a tiny laugh as she unhooked the door latch, giving way for Dahyun and Sana to pass through. “Didn’t know you were that infatuated.”

“Yea right, as if I would be amazed at you, hoe. I just love your house, that’s all -OH MY WAFFLES!!” At the sight of the big blonde poodle sprinting towards her energetically, Dahyun dropped to her knees and stretched her arms open to receive the blonde ball of fur that barreled into her, causing her to fall over happily in the freshly mowed garden.

“Ouch, your words hurt me” Chaeyoung retorted sarcastically, watching as Dahyun laughed happily. Quick fact; she had 3 dogs, one poodle, one German shepherd and one golden retriever. All of which she adored, but clearly not as much as the 2 people now rolling in the grass with them, all pride and shame thrown out of the window.

“Are we just going to ing roll here forever, you useless s? Let’s go! I’ve got 2 seasons of Pretty Little Liars and Vikings to watch, and I’m not waiting for you fluffy asses.” Chaeyoung snapped sassily at them, acting angry but failing at the joyous sight in front of her. The 2 people had grins on their faces the size of the moon, and Chaeyoung was pretty sure Waffles was smiling too. If only she could communicate with dogs...Oh wait, she never tried it-

“My My Chae, wasn’t aware you were checking out our asses you closeted lesbian.” Dahyun grinned cheekily at Chaeyoung as she stood up and brushed herself, eliciting a chuckle from Sana and a playful glare from Chaeyoung.

“Why would I want to check out the world’s flattest object, dad? And closeted lesbian- there’s abit of hypocrisy here, isn’t there?” Chaeyoung retorted, legs already sprinting away to the front door as Dahyun took off towards her.

“I told you I don’t like being called DAD!” Dahyun’s voice echoed across the peaceful and serene mansion, causing the house servants to look on in amusement at the 2 adults chasing each other across the lawn. Perhaps ‘field’ was more fitting.

“Sure… DAD.”

“SON CHAEYOUNG, YOU-“

……….

Chaeyoung wasn’t getting a good vibe from the neighborhood they were entering- “they” consisting of Dahyun and her. With flickering streetlights and trash filled alleyways, it seemed to be the hangout place for criminals and crooks. This begged the question Chaeyoung was dreading the answer to- what was a girl like Dahyun doing here?

Equipped in all black clothing to blend against the dark backdrop of the urban rundown buildings, Chaeyoung silently crept on the rooftops with her weapons strapped to her back, any small sounds she was making walking along the metal rafters drowned out by the laughs of drunkards and bikers below. Weaving between the clumps of sweaty bodies shifting in the alleyway, Dahyun easily made her way through the thick crowd like a knife through butter towards the back of the alleyway where it seemed the din of the crowd was loudest.

Moving along the rooftops trying to keep pace with Dahyun, Chaeyoung bit her lip worriedly. How was Dahyun so familiar and unbothered about the stench and vibe of this place? How many times had she come here already? Just a few hours ago Dahyun was painting her nails, smiling and laughing happily while Sana was lounging on the bed complaining about their math teacher. Staring at her navy blue coloured nails, Chaeyoung felt her stomach churn at the thought of Dahyun being in danger.

Chaeyoung had all these questions burning the back of her mind, but she wasn’t sure if she wanted to know the answer to these queries. She didn’t think she could control her anger if she saw anyone beat Dahyun.

Tugging at her long sleeves, Dahyun squeezed past the last muscular meathead to reveal athe door with the words “Southside Vipers” lit in neon words above it. The smell of alcohol and wafted from within the doors, its stench nearly causing Chaeyoung to retch. However, Dahyun simply shared a look with the 2 burly men guarding the door, before they both moved aside for her without any order. As if they were expecting her. As if they knew her.

I have to get inside, Chaeyoung thought to herself, surveying the scene below. Aside from the 2 burly men guarding the door, this place was located on the corner of the alleyway, meaning no one could see her take out the guards. Splendid.

Slipping on mask, Chaeyoung felt her feet lift above the rafters, levitating in the air as she waited for the last drunkard to stumble out of the dimly lit alleyway with a e by his side. With a quick prayer for forgiveness, Chaeyoung felt herself speed to the ground too fast for any of the guards to see, rolling to break her fall and unsheathing her weapons as she drove the of her machete into the knee of the guard. Not forgetting about his accomplice, Chaeyoung whipped around and kicked the guard right in his jugular underneath his ear, causing him to crumple to the ground and send the nearby mice scurrying away. Turning back, Chaeyoung covered the man’s mouth to prevent his loud voice from escaping, before digging into his pressure point located near his spine. A snap rang through the air audibly, and Chaeyoung shoved him away, making him fall to the ground twitching as his mouth foamed slightly.

That should leave them unconscious for a few minutes, and with enough memory to remember who they were but not to remember what just transpired. Chaeyoung knew that the next methods she used would not be as clean, meaning she would have to use her blades. Blood would have to be shed, if she wanted to protect Dahyun.

Sheathing back her machete, she exchanged them for her La Fontaine’s- beautifully crafted Italian throwing knives whose blades had only ever dug into the stomachs of straw-filled dummies. Tonight, they would taste blood for the very first time.

With a bated breath, Chaeyoung grasped the doorknob and pulled the door open slowly, treading lightly so as to not make a sound against the dangerously loud wooden floor. Cautiously, Chaeyoung slipped in through the tiny crack of the doorway and closed the door behind quietly, careful not to alert anyone as she made her way over to some chairs stacked in the corner of the bar.

Settling herself into position, Chaeyoung found a crack between the chairs and peered through it, trying to survey the battleground. Punk rock plays loudly in the background, the bass thudding like Chaeyoung’s pulse- but that’s not why her heart is pounding. Because amidst the burly men with their unkempt appearances and the sleazy bikers with guns hung at their sides, Kim Dahyun is standing in front of people she cannot see, head downwards as her hands clutches a mysterious brown package. Creeping slightly closer to the belly of the beast, Chaeyoung can finally make out their conversation with her increased senses in the warm stuffy room that chokes her senseless.

“, this is what, the third time you’re telling me this? Apparently, the terms ‘this is the last time’ means all then, amongst your lot.” The hoarse voice sends shivers down Chaeyoung’s spine, and she grips the handles of their throwing knives harder to prevent herself from letting all hell break loose right there and then.

“ Archie, I swear this time its true, I promise, just give me- ” Dahyun’s voice, ever so sweet and innocent, rings in Chaeyoung’s mind before its followed by the loud smash of glass cups against the wooden floor. Chaeyoung turns her head and stares blankly at the cigarette stained floorboards, fingernails digging into her palms to prevent her body from instinctively jumping over the stack of chairs- she had to know what was going on.

“GIVE YOU WHAT? TIME?” The voice rang throughout the bar, but the noise of the bar never stopped, not even the clinking of beer glasses nor the booming laughs of some men. It was if this was normal, this guy Archie screaming at the top of his lungs at a teenage girl dressed in a sweater and jeans.

Like this was normal, like any of this was normal. The strangeness of this situation made Chaeyoung want to pull her hair out, at sheer frustration of the injustice her best friend was facing.

“I don’t have time, but I’ll tell you what I need, you prissy , I need my money.” The man named Archie moves into the light, and Chaeyoung knows his sins. After all, he was one of the largest criminals running rampant in the city- blame it on their ineffective police force. With eyes the color of blood, his cheeks are old and withered along with the rest of his face, like he was drawn to life by a third grader. One eye rolled around aimlessly, while the other glared at dahyun with so much intensity it was a wonder how she hadn’t burst. Clad in the classic biker outfit, she saw his face expand to accommodate his evil grin as he leant forward to Dahyun.

“Unless you want your mom to die… again.” His words, although quickly drowned out by the maddening crowd, forced Dahyun’s head down to hid her tears and Chaeyoung was lost for words. Dahyun never told her anything about her mom- she never even talked about her family, except for her adorable little brother. Watching the tears roll down her cheeks, Chaeyoung felt pure unadulterated fury roll through her entire body- this was going to pay.

“I’ll even get little timothy too, unless you can give me what my men want.” Chaeyoung peered through the gap once again, only to reveal something she never expected Dahyun to do. With trembling fingers and shaking sobs wracking her whole body, Dahyun reached underneath her sweater and slowly started to pull it over head, exposing the bruised and broken body she had been hiding it for so long. Chaeyoung couldn’t contain the gasp that escaped from , and she scrambled back away from the horror she had just witnessed. Large, purple bruises lined her stomach and her back, along with many red welts caused by the unmistakable hot iron against flesh. Scars and wounds adorned her torso, and at the feeling of skin against hot humid air Dahyun gasped for breath.

Good god- she was going to murder them all. “I…I-I do it.” Scared and desperate, Dahyun managed to stop her hiccupping to stare to the side of Archie’s head. “Just don’t touch them.”

“What, your s? You sure they’re even there.” As he said this 2 other bikers had stepped forward, and they roared with laughter at his cruel joke while advancing towards her.

no, Chaeyoung swung her knives up in the air, before catching them perfectly in her palm. This ends now.

With a roar similar to the deafening volume of thunder and lightning, Chaeyoung sprung out from her cover, knives already leaving her hand and burying themselves into the sides of their neck. The 2 bikers crumpled to the ground immediately, and Chaeyoung sprinted forward towards Dahyun while throwing her knives towards the other henchmen. Blood spurted out of their bodies like a majestic fountain, hitting Chaeyoung’s face as she reached Dahyun and pulled her out of harm’s way.

“STAY HERE!” Chaeyoung shouted as she pushed Dahyun towards the corner of the bar before turning around to face the crowd. By now, the noise of the bar had reached an all-time high as the gang members all roared in grief for their fallen comrades. Chaeyoung knew the Southside Vipers pretty well, they were the main cause of most crimes in the surrounding neighborhoods. They were all meatheads with all muscle but no brain, cronies Chaeyoung could take out with her powers without needing to lift a hand. But she wanted them to suffer. Just like they made her friend suffer.

“Son Chaeyoung, you .” Archie rose from his seat, grabbing his gun from his holster and pointing at Chaeyoung. “Here to protect this ?”

“Oh Archie,” Chaeyoung hissed angrily as she glared at Archie Cuttingham with a stare reminiscent of death, the chains of restraint no longer keeping her fury in check. “I’m no longer the protector. I’m the destroyer.”

With a primal scream sending chills down the backs of everyone there, Chaeyoung leapt above the fray with weapons outstretched, concentrating energy into the center of the room and letting loose with satisfaction. The floor exploded as people were incinerated on the spot, the sheer heat of the blast melting the metal of their guns and causing third degree burns to appear on their hands.

The screams of pain and anguish only seemed to fuel her power, and Chaeyoung summoned flames to wrap around her weapons and the room as she moved through the crowd with the ease of a skilled fighter. Like an unstoppable judgement that had come to bring death to these criminals, Chaeyoung wasted no time in cutting through the crowd with her machete and her medieval Norman dagger. All youth and lean muscle blended into perfection as she weaved the fists and knives flying in her direction, an aura of blazing heat surrounding her and melting the flesh off their faces as she advanced closer and closer towards Archie.

Soon, the cries of war had become screams of pain and anguish, with many of the bikers lying on the floor in agony, clutching burnt limbs and gaping wounds. Arms and legs were scattered everywhere, and the blood was forming a cesspit with the sheer amount of disembodied bodies tossed across the room. The stench of blood finally hit Chaeyoung’s nostrils, and she paused her massacre to admire the destruction she had layed upon them. The smell of burnt flesh hit her nose before the scenes did, and amidst her disgust Chaeyoung grinned evilly. She had laid Justice upon them, and had gotten revenge on them. They had received their due punishment, it was time to repent for their sins while they slowly bled to death- but now, now it was time for Archie to suffer.

Stepping over the dead bodies, the squelch of shoe in blood met her ears as Chaeyoung walked over to the figure lying beside a makeshift throne. Gasping for breath, part of his face had already melted off as his eye drooped out of its socket, dangling uselessly. His teeth were chipped from his fall at her explosive blast of energy, which meant that he would never grin again. Not that it mattered, considering the look on her face as Chaeyoung let her hand light on fire, the cold fury of revenge burning in her eyes.

“How does it feel, Archie, to finally feel my true wrath.” Chaeyoung saw her words visibly sink into his skin, watching in disgust as she saw his hand inch closer to his gun. “You want your gun? Fine.”

Concentrating, Chaeyoung watched in satisfaction as she crumpled the gun into a tiny metal ball, tossing at his head as the hope faded from his eyes. “For every bruise that you gave to Dahyun, I would give you wounds ten times worse. But my friend is here, and I would rather not let her see this darker side of me.”

Standing up and dusting her hands, Chaeyoung reached behind her back and took out her sword handle, watching it grow into a full-length sword composed of fire and metal. “Archie Cuttingham, you ing scum and of the earth, I wish you all the best for the repentance of your numerous sins.”

Slowly raising her sword up, Chaeyoung watched in sick Fascination as he struggled to make words with his burnt mouth. Beckoning her to listen to his final words, Chaeyoung went down slowly on her knee and knelt beside him, before cupping her ear and leaning towards his mouth. Through his faintest rasps and whispers, Chaeyoung could make out his plea for help and forgiveness.

A sick feeling filled Chaeyoung’s stomach, forcing her to swallow the bile that threatened to come out. Who was this coward in front of her? where was the man who had cruelly sentenced a girl to her worst fear, who sent her to lose her innocence to the darkness wanting to swallow her?

He was gone. All that was left was the cold empty husk of a man reduced to tears at the sight of his final reckoning.

“Sorry Archie, I don’t do forgiving. God does. So, tell that to him once you see him, aye?”

With a grunt, Chaeyoung stood up with her sword in hand, looking down on the person who had given grief to so many- especially her best friend. Death wasn’t enough for him, but Chaeyoung trusted God enough to know he would give punishment where it was due.

“You probably won’t see him for long anyway.”

With an air of finality, Chaeyoung drove the sword down deep into his body and into the floor, the song of fire burning right through wood filling the air with heavy emotions.