“Queen B, come in. What’s your position?”

“Copy, Eagle. I’m at the back entrance of the hideout. I see four perps, two by the windows and the other two by the front entrance.”

“Is the subject on site?”

“Yes. Strapped on a chair and blindfolded. I gotta tell you though, Eagle. This… looks weirdly undermanned for a kidnapping, we gotta be extra careful.”

“I see. We’ve scouted the perimeter. Seems like there’s no one else on guard. We stick to the plan. We’ll leave Tiger Cub on the visuals, while the rest of us go full-on assault. You stay on your spot, Queen B. We need a lookout. Radio in if anything from the outside happens and if we need backup.”

“Copy, Eagle. Though I highly doubt you’ll need the last one.”

A chuckle and then a tinge of white noise lingered in her ears as she turns off her radio’s headset mic and shifts from her squatted position on the rooftop’s edge. The one called ‘Eagle’ turns to look at the rest of her team, ready to commence their mission.

“Alright. Tiger Cub, you stay on scope. Make sure you have eyes on a 500-meter radius, radio in if you see any incoming perps. Oz and Yoda, you’re coming in with me. We got four trolls on sight; two by the windows, two by the door. Queen B is on the lookout and is on backup. We’re coming in at exactly 20:00.”

Her team nods in understanding as weapons are held at the ready for the onslaught about to happen.

“Remember, we need to get the subject on to the chopper by 20:15. So we have to move fast. Make it as quiet as possible, so put away those guns, Oz. We’ll startle the neighbors.”

With slumped shoulders, Oz shoves her pistols back into her holsters.

“Let’s do this.”

----

After a series of sneaking and some cracking of bones and noses from batons and fists knocking out their targets, Eagle proceeds on untying the subject from his bounds and taking off his blindfold.

Without a single word, the team runs out at the back entrance with their subject where Queen B awaits to assist with the rescue mission.

“The chopper will be here in a couple of minutes, Sir. Just hang on. Are you hurt anywhere?” Eagle asks the clearly frazzled old man.

“N-No. But thank God you’ve found me.” The man bows repeatedly as he is escorted into the building in front of the hideout where they’ve set base.

“No need to thank us, Sir.” Eagle answers as she ushers the man and the others inside the elevator.

“This was a pretty easy one, eh?” Oz nudges the team leader as the elevator goes up more floors.

“Well, it’s not over till we see the subject off.” Eagle deadpans as she taps her hand impatiently on her side.

After a few seconds, she gets a signal from Tiger Cub through radio that the chopper has arrived and is ready for transport. As the doors of the elevator opens at the rooftop, they are met by strong winds emitted by the chopper’s rotor blades.

Quickly, Eagle escorts the old man onto the said chopper.

“Thank you so much again! I get to see my wife and daughter again because of you!” The man half-yells to get his message through the ear-numbing winds hitting his ears.

“Please get home safe!” Eagle then gives the pilot a tap on the shoulder, signaling their take off and gets off the chopper to collect her team.

Then there were gunshots.

Somewhere, someone is shooting at them. And before she could even look for her team or take cover, Eagle gets hit on her right shoulder and collapses from the impact.

Her senses have become numb from the massive pain radiating from her bullet-shattered shoulder. Gunshots are still in the air as she tries to move into a crawling position and get a proper look at her surroundings.

She sees Oz and Tiger Cub taking cover behind a pile of shipping crates, firing back at the unexpected intruders. She tries to drag herself towards her teammates but was quickly losing blood and consciousness.

As her eyes forcefully draw to a close, she sees who she thinks is Yoda, running from the opposite side of the rooftop towards her.

Then everything went black.

She was awakened by the sounds of beeping and arguing from her long slumber. She recognizes the voices and also recognizes how much pain she’s feeling right now. She almost forgot the feeling of being shot.

“See? Now you woke her up! I told you to keep your trap shut!” a scoff follows the scolding as Eagle feels a warm hand over her forehead.

“Hey? Dahyun-ah, how are you feeling?” the scolding voice has now turned soft and caring. Eagle, or Dahyun rather, relaxes into the touch.

“Feeling pretty banged up, Nayeon unnie.” She croaks as the cute, bunny-toothed blonde continues to caress her dark locks.

“Well! I completely take back what I said about that mission being easy.” Oz shoves the remote she was arguing for back to Nayeon and heads for Dahyun’s bedside.

“And that is why we don’t declare anything easy or difficult till it’s done, Jeongyeon unnie.” Dahyun smiles and raises her right hand to fist bump Jeongyeon.

“You were pretty roughed up out there, Dubu. We almost couldn’t get to you. Thankfully, SinB got to call backup immediately.” Tiger Cub says as she lays the book she was reading and gets off her seat.

“Well, I’m glad to see you’re okay, Chaeyoung.”

On cue, Dahyun’s eyes widen. She tries to get up but recoils once the pain from her shoulder intensified at the sudden move.

“How are the others?”

“Ooookay, hold your horses there, Dubu. Lie down. Everyone else is fine.” Nayeon tucks the other back to bed.

“ALMOST everyone….” Jeongyeon slips and Nayeon wishes she can just strangle her right now.

Dahyun’s face went pale and stiff. “Go on…”

Jeongyeon freezes just as the other two does for a few seconds.

“Crossfire went on for a while, but we got to take cover after the first shots were fired… one of which, YOU took. And uhh…” Uncomfortable from Nayeon’s glare and Dahyun’s piercing stare, Jeongyeon could just evaporate right then and there.

“AND?” her team leader urges.

“Okay, as you see Chaeng and I are okay, SinB and Tzuyu are fine. You should probably thank Tzuyu for dragging your to safety. As for the subject… bullets reached the chopper’s tail on takeoff and they crashed straight into the hideout…”

“Backup was called but JIhyo and the others just didn’t get there on time. I’m sorry, Dahyun-ah.” Nayeon holds the younger’s cold and now clammy hands.

“S-so… h-he’s?” Dahyun stutters as she processes the information. This was it. The day she feared the most. Failing a rescue mission. Worse, the subject died.

Jeongyeon, Chaeyoung and Nayeon could only look down as they know Dahyun is gonna surely beat herself up for it. She is the youngest team leader in the Special Forces, gained mostly through her excellence in the military academy and during her first years in the Forces. This was her eighth rescue mission, and her first failed one.

“Dubu, it’s not your fault. We scouted the area, we set up perimeters and we did all the protocols. We just didn’t see this coming.” Jeongyeon tries to comfort the younger one.

When Tzuyu and her were drafted from their previous team to Dahyun’s, the latter was doubtful of the younger one’s leadership. But being with her for the last two years along with the others, they’ve been regarded as one of the best teams in the Forces. And Dahyun became one of the bestest friends she’s ever had.

“Apparently, one of the guys we knocked down got to call their other goonies after we left the hideout. Well, that’s what we got out of him.” Jeongyeon continues.

The younger one laid still on her bed. She needs to fix this in any way she can.

“So, some of them are still out there?”

Nayeon looks at Jeongyeon with warning. The latter looks at her intently, trying to think of the best answer when Dahyun does it for her.

“Of course they are. They’re not just gonna let this go. Whatever they wanted from the subject, they’ll be more desperate to get it now that he’s dead.”

“Just… Rest up for now, Dahyun. You’ll need your strength.” Nayeon sighs as Dahyun nods. She’s not letting this go too.

9 Months Later

“Sir, I know this is a stretch but I really want to get back on the case. I’m alright now and I’ve been cleared by the doctors. I still have a trail to follow and we have to catch whoever did this.” Dahyun practically jogs as she follows her boss, who’s each step seems to be double of hers. The towering man halts before a door and turns to look at Dahyun.

“Captain Kim, I know that this is your first failed mission. And I know that you’ve now grown some attachment to the case, but I can’t just let you back in. Not right now at least. Captain Park is following a lead in Japan and I’ll let you know if and when there’s a mission you can do.”

“But Colonel Ok, I have to make this right. I can’t just stay still while the subject’s kidnappers and murderers are out there!” She was desperate. She’s been asking a number of seniors for any leads and help. But sadly, she’s been benched. Even Captain Park Jihyo, a long-time friend from the academy couldn’t spill so much information, since there wasn’t really much.

Sensing that the young captain will not relent quickly (she hasn't since she was released from the hospital), the colonel sighs and thinks of a way to keep the other occupied. And he’s got just the thing.

“Alright. There’s a thing… It’s about the subject’s family.”

“Whatever it is, I’ll take it. It’s a start.” Dahyun brims at the first light of hope that she doesn’t even think twice about it.

“I’ll have my secretary send the details to you tomorrow. For now, I would need you to pack up for Seoul.” The colonel says as he opens the door and disappears behind it.

“Thank you, Sir! You will not regret this!”

“Finally”, Dahyun thinks.

She hates that she lost someone she was supposed to save and vows to get justice for the man. She can only recall how the man thanked them, only to meet his end a few minutes later.

She has to make it up to him. Whatever it takes.

----

“So you’re really going to Seoul, huh?” Jeongyeon says as she leans on the door frame of Dahyun’s room.

“Yep. I have to find out what those guys were after. They wouldn’t just kidnap