Jungkook´s whole world froze at the words.

Code orange.

SH*T!

Hoseok whipped his head around, staring at him together with his second, fear and determination mixing on the red-head´s face as they both waited for Jungkook´s order.

The blood in his veins turning icey and his senses sharpening, thoughts narrowing down to practical tasks at the looming danger the youngest leapt up. After placing Tae down on the ground he rushed to his room.

"Hoseok", he shouted, "bring Tae, Jimin and Seokjin-hyung to the jeep! Take what you need from the basement. Go to another hideout but don´t tell me which one. Wait for me to contact you."

He was back in the living room, his Kimber 1911 fastened onto his belt. While Jimin seemed relatively calm as he´d witnessed their gang in safety mode, his best friend and the kind-of doctor where gawking wide-eyed. Watching the events unfolde.

As the forger emerged from the basement armed to his teeth and four bulletproof vests under his arms, Jungkook grabbed his face and stared him right in the eyes.

"Protect them at all costs. Never look back. Take a leap for safety."

With steady and serious voice spiting how obviously frightened he was, Hoseok replied. "Nobody´s gonna die tonight."

Jungkook nodded grimly. "Take care, hyung."

As the red-head handed out the bulletproof vests, the young Blessed made for Taehyung who was still gawking at him and pulled him in a tight hug. He pressed a short kiss edged with desperacy and urgency on the brunet´s head.

"Please be safe", he whispered against the smooth skin. A slight tremble went through Tae´s body. Jungkook tightened the grip to a point where it was painful as he added "and for the love of gods, listen to Hoseok. Do whatever he says no matter how crazy it sounds."

Then he forcefully teared himself apart from the singer and pushed him away.

"GO!"

Jungkook didn´t dare to look back as the forger ushered the three men to follow him through the back door. Instead, he pulled his second down to the basement to grab a vest, ammunition and whatnot himself.

"How many?" His voice was rid of all emotions, empty and monotone. He´d gone into a robot-like calculation mode, shoving away all feelings and sensations not being relevant for staying alive.

"I´m not sure. Five, maybe." Yoongi sounded just as cold as him and everything from the small man screamed danger. Trouble for whoever dared laying a finger on him or his friends, his family. "I think I recognized two of them. They belong to another gang from the east of town, the Thorned dustwind. You know them. One of them is a Blessed for sure, for the others I can´t tell. Probably one or two more."

The younger gulped. Yeah, he´d had a few encounters with members of the Thorned dustwind. And everytime had been happy when he got away from them as far as possible. Because that gang? The dudes were no fun. No, most of them were bloody sadists, the members ranked by how many deaths were weighing on their shoulders. They were harsh concurrents of Jungkook and he´d had to fight for a good killing task with them once.

After that encounter he knew for sure he wished nobody to be victim of them. Because he´d seen the sick glint in their eyes at the thought of murder. And mercy seemed to be a concept as foreign to them as humanity itself.

And if they, of all people were after Jimin or after him now then things were really really bad.

But he didn´t have much time to brood. So he snapped back to reality and threw the next question on his second.

"What can you tell me about their Blessings? And what is up in general?"

Yoongi pursed his lips while hammering on his laptop, one hand wiping the blood in his face away.

"Well, one of them - let´s call him lanky dude - seems to be able of tracking other people´s Blessing. I don´t know whom he´s after though, if he´s hunting Jimin or you. The others I don´t know. Anyway, we should make a move. Dying or going to jail wasn´t exactly on my To Do list for today. Come on kid, they´re close."

With that, he grabbed his rifle and, balancing the laptop open on his other hand, made for his own car. Jungkook on his heels taking the driver´s seat and thanking the heavens for they had invested in adding extra thick steel to the vehicle a year ago.

"Where to?"

"Make for the container port. Shouldn´t be many guys around by now."

So Jungkook did. Next to him, Yoongi was still busy typing codes and clicking around while at the same time trying to smear black paint into his flashy hair.

"Gotcha", he mumbled as the older had successfully hacked into public cameras and found their chasers. "So yeah, what happened? I was busying myself keeping track of the other guys being after Jimin-sshi as something - call it sixth sense, call it swag - made me grabbing my stuff and disappearing behind the next corner. And then somebody mentioned your - our - adress, said he is finally in town again after hiding for the past few weeks and tonight they´d get him and have fun with him. I dared a peek and spotted a loose group of four men and a woman. They all had that..." his second shuddered, "that sick gleam in their eyes and one was grinning so visciously, so mad... brat, I swear I´d rather kill myself than being caught by them. Or let you kill me. Because them... no. Just no. And you´d be clever to think the same way."

Jungkook didn´t reply at that but he took one of the deep red capsules Yoongi offered him and hid it in a small pocket on the inside of his sleeve. Poison in high concentration. The small bottle of pills had cost them money of four good tasks. They´d taken it nevertheless, running low on food for some weeks after. Because this special poison was deadly without fail - deadly and painless and swift. Instant death, should it ever be required.

"We don´t have much though. Except you swearing it´s a code orange but we don´t even know to what degree."

Code orange - other Blessed being after them. The second-worst to code red, government knocking on their door. With guns. And gas and maybe grenades too.

"Oh, but we do have something now", newly black-haired Yoongi countered. "First, I am 100% certain lanky dude can track Blessings. Second, we are the ones being tracked. Hoseok seems to be fine. Third, they come in three black, heavy cars. Fourth, they are armed but barely, as much as I can see. And fifth, if we are sneaky those bastards will be in for quite a surprise."

"Spill", the younger deadpanned.

He could hear the smirk in his hyung´s voice at the reply. "Let´s say my latest investions might come in handy soon."

Jungkook was leaning against one of countless containers that were waiting to be shipped away. His breath sounded loud as thunder in his ears as he sat in the darkness, blood thrumming in his ears. Nobody else did hear his ragged breath over the noise of machines in the distance doing their duty, over the splash of water against the piers. Nobody but Yoongi.

"Damn brat, can you chillax like, right now" his second snarled right into his ear through the ear piece. 

The younger didn´t dare whispering an apologize but he put two fingers on his nose and took slow steady breaths through only one nostril each time, effectively calming his raging pulse down. He gazed down to his other hand, the one holding his small pistol. With his thumb he rubbed at the persistent stains left on it. His hands were full of black splotches from when he´d helped his second smearing black paint all over his hair then over his face and neck.

He stared at his dirty hands as they kept trembling. The chilly night air bit on his exposed skin. His in similar situations razor-sparp brain he was so proud of didn´t work full force. Jungkook was haunted by the what-ifs running circles in his mind.

What if there are more than those dudes after me, what if Yoongi and I are overestimating ourselfes? What if this is a distraction while they chase in reality Jimin? What if they hurt Jimin and Tae, what if they go over dead bodies namely Hoseok to get to the author? What if they are after me but willing to capture, torture, kill the people dear to me for getting whatever they want?

What if anything happens to Tae? What if Yoongi and I can´t make it? What if my Blessing doesn´t calm the down now and I loose control?

What if?!

Jungkook´s breath came in harsh puffs again. Squeezing his eyes shut, he slid down on the cool metal against his back. Oh, he had been a fool thinking just because Tae and him were now official everything would be rainbow and butterflies and his Blessing wouldn´t play him. Cold sweat made his shirt sticking against his back uncomfortably.

"Are you alright down there?" Something like concern swung with Yoongi´s voice, an emotion Jungkook had heard too often from his second lately.

Thanks to my own pathetic a**.

The younger didn´t dare speak, just shook his head. The cool container behind him was all warmth and strength out of him and left him a quivering mess. His Blessing was leashing out in all directions against its containment and then recoiling, again and again and everytime a tad bit stronger. Like some sea monster with countless tentacles searching for an opening but only taking a split-second for the contact with the surface encaging it.

How fitting, Jungkook mused bitterly. This time I´m bearing a sea monster as I´m at the port, the dark water maybe 30 feet away from me. If nothing else, at least my Blessing pays attention to my suroundings. Not creepy at all.

The older´s voice whispered in his ear once more. "Hey, just remember where to guide them and we´ll be fine, okay? I´m counting on you. Don´t loose your sh*t."

Jungkook managed a grim smile.

Translation: Man up, I have your back and you have mine.

He straightened up and pressed his fists in the stomach as if he could shove his Blessing further inside and stop it from erupting. He didn´t have time for collapsing. There was a task at hand he had to do.

"That´s the spirit", Yoongi acknowledged, without a doubt watching his every move throught the scope from where he laid flat in a gap between containers surrounding him from all sides. Like a cave. And a predator lurkin inside, ready to pounce. That´s what Yoongi became when he took position behind Jenny and laid his finger on the trigger.

"Hm, seems you grew yourself some balls just in time. They´re coming. Get ready, brat."

And true enough Jungkook heard cars coming near, constantly slowing down. A night breeze carried over the scent of exhaust fumes. Two motors were turned off, one kept running, doors were slammed shut and steps sounded loud on the concrete floor. Loud and confident.

"Well well, were are you little Taker, come out come out and show yourself~", a distinctive familiar voice sang mockingly. Probably the leader of their group.

A chill ran down Jungkook´s spine as he recalled his encounter with the man, recalled the mirth dancing in his eyes and the wicked grin whenever Jungkook had opened his mouth. As if he was just contemplating all the things he could do to the young man sitting before him if their talk didn´t go the way he wanted. As if he was already imagening the thrill to skin Jungkook alive. J

ungkook was hyper-aware of the poison hidden in his sleeve as he remained on his spot. Shallow breaths left his lungs. He prayed Yoongi´s plan would work.

The steps came closer. Somebody snorted. 

"Oh please dear, it´s not as if you could really hide from us", a cold disparaging female voice snided. And it was as if Jungkook could feel shining dangerous eyes piercing the night, staring holes through him. His heart beat quickened. He felt , exposed in the worst way.

Here they are, the wolves I feared.

"Come out come out now... I can feel you~", the leader´s voice purred, oh so close to where Jungkook was hiding. He clasped a hand against his mouth, muffling his breath that sounded like roaring in his ears.

Another male voice piped up. "Geez, it´s no fun if we have to actually find them. Missy, tug at him", a young man whined, possibly still a boy.

"Don´t", the woman hissed "Call me 'missy' ever again!"

Jungkook was still wondering what they meant with tugging as he felt it. Like a searing hot hook rammed into his chest something was pulling at his Blessing, pulling it out. Screaming in agony, Jungkook went down.

Through the mush in his head he heard a sing-song of "Found him~" but he couldn´t care less.

He was burning, his chest was burning, melting away. He clawed at the flesh above his heart, tried to pull out the hook that wasn´t there. Nothing in this world was left but the heat, the fire eating him up. He rolled above the ground, no longer able to use his voice and dragged his nails down the chest, drawing blood. The hook didn´t let go.

Like in a different life, a different world he could faintly hear Yoongi whisper-shouting in his ear piece but it didn´t matter. Felt his pistol falling to the ground. But... Nothing mattered but the heat. Jungkook couldn´t tell whether he was still screaming or trying to, he had no feeling left. Every fiber in his body was concentrating on that one point in his core. Not even the blood running down his torso. It was all numb. Dust. And in the center of it a raging volcanoe. Jungkook was burning, burning and-

And then it was gone.

As soon as it had come the hook vanished. Jungkook ´s whole body twitched uncontrollably. He gasped, forcing air down his throat as dry as he´d come right from the Sahara desert. His head was throbbing, sight blurry and his fingers sticky with his own blood.

The first thing he could see was the man he´d known, 'lanky dude' as Yoongi called him. With his face mere inches away from Jungkook´s he grinned at him mischievously.

"Well well! Wasn´t that fun?" he clasped his hands together in joy, white bleached hair standing up like on pictures of crazy chem professors.

Behind the man hovered the woman, her dark painted lips drawn to a thin line. Her demeanor was cold, cold as Yoongi but at the same time very different. Were his second had a silent wildfire burning inside, that woman clad in a goth dress seemed to have no soul. A soulless, icey shell staring Jungkook down.

"This was just a taste, you tiny shrimp" she sneered.

Lanky dude nodding vigorously. "Yes yes, we´ll have so much more fun with you!"

And Jungkook had finally come back to his senses enough to see the gleam in his eyes, the gleam that made even Yoongi tremble with goosebumps.

"What... what do you mean", Jungkook rasped. In the back of his head noticing things went terribly wrong.

At this a third person - just a boy indeed -crouched down, invading his vision. Watching Jungkook with big curious, innocent eyes. As if he was learing a new game. Maybe he was at sorts. 

"Evening, mister. We´re glad to finally have that talk with you. As hyung had to chase your and your Blessing through the whole town he was already getting a bit restless, y´know?"

"Yeah man! First vanishing for half an eternity and then playing hit 'n run with us? Not cool", lanky dude - surely in his thirties - complained pouting.

The boy chuckled at Jungkook´s clear confusion. "You don´t get it, do you mister?" He poked Jugkook´s shoulder. "Hyung can sense your Blessing. He can recognize the Blessing used on something and follow back to the source - the Blessed - with his own Blessing. He´s our awesome blood hound."

At that the boy looked up to lanky dude in admiration who threw his head back, bathing in the compliments. "And since we found that woman in a back alley he was hooked. There were no traces of violence, nothing explaining her death but some smeared lipstick. Really, it was great!" The boy´s eyes were twinkling as if he was talking about his favorite TV show.

"What. Woman." Yoongi deadpanned in his ear piece. Jungkook blanched.

He remembered. They meant the woman he´d killed in a haste to get that damn Taeyang CD and to ing stay alive. And it was the one corpse, the only one he hadn´t informed his second about, hadn´t made sure it was taken care of. That single murder would be now his downfall it seemed.

"And for the missy back there-" the boy continued and immediately got interrupted.

"That´s it, twently whiplashes for you later", the woman stated, picking at her nails.

The boy just rolled his eyes. As if twenty lashes were nothing. It was just then Jungkook noticed the boy´s hands covered in ugly scars of various sizes. He wondered what kind of training that child was undergoing. Jungkook gulped.

"Whatever, so our dear Rosie back there", the boy pointed behind himself "is quite a collector. She collect Blessings, y´know? And apparently we all share the opinion that you have a rather cool Blessing, mister. That´s why she´d like to have it for herself. In other words..."

"...I´m gonna steal it from you", Rosie ended the sentence, locking eyes with Jungkook. And there, the slightest hint of a smile or more a smirk was tugging at her lips. "Death through kissing... nice one, a really nice one. Don´t have something like that yet", she muttered. Then, while still holding eye contact she bend one finger.

Jungkook roared as the hook hit home again, playfully tugging at his Blessing for a moment. It vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving a trembling Jungkook behind, forehead pressed against the asphalt. He doubled over and vomited.

The three members of the Thorned dustwind grinned down at him.

Just so you know: the hint I´ve been mentioning to some of you was at the end of chapter 9 or 10 where strangers carried away the woman´s corpse. Admit it, you all totally forgot that tiny segment didn´t you? *evil laughter*