Jungkook didn't know what had betrayed them. But somehow the ponytail woman must've found them as she pointed to the building right under them and the other people under her command rushed towards the hall. Towards them. He looked around frantically although Jungkook knew since long there was no escape. No way out. Their only way was up. He contemplated it. Given there was nobody visible anymore as they all had stormed the building maybe it would go unnoticed if they...

He nudged Yoongi and pointed towards the ceiling above their heads. His second gave him a look of utter disbelief. Jungkook kept pointing up. And hesitantly, his hyung obligued. Together, as stealth as possible, they climbed out of a window and clinging on the crumbling wall for dear life made their way up to the roof. Admittedly, Jungkook was still not sure what to do but everything was better than waiting for their pursuers to arrive.

That's how they both found themselves on the top of an old industrial tower, laying flat on their bellies and listening. Not much time passed and they heard noises from below them.

"Paul", a cold piercing voice bellowed. Jungkook couldn't remember the blonde woman's voice but it was definitely her who had shouted - the tone did fit her like a well-worn glove.

Some shuffling, scurrying around and then...

"Up there", a muffled male voice stated, slightly trembling.

More shuffling noises. Jungkook's heart was beating to his throat. Maybe he and Yoongi should just jump, make it quick. But then they wouldn't even have tried. On the other hand... was there even a right or wrong in such kind of situation? He looked back to his second whose eyes were darting around frantically, searching an escape that wasn't there. And as their gazes finally met, as they've both come to the same conclusion and were just about to stand up and step to the rim, step past it - a face appeared.

Red from the effort it took to get up here, teeth clenched but a creepy grin spreading on her face as she beheld the two men, the dagger woman pulled her body up to the flat roof. Rose, catching her breath.

As fast as the smirk had appeared it disappeared again. Leaving only calculating coldness.

Already on the other three sides hands were grappling for hold, more members of the "Thorned dustwind" cutting their ways. Caging them in. Jungkook rose to his feet and did his best to look threatening. He felt warmth on his back the moment Yoongi got up too, backs pressing together.

"Took you long enough", his second scoffed.

The blonde woman didn't even raise a perfect eyebrow. She just swaggered closer in a manner as if she had every time in the world. She was smaller than him, Jungkook noticed. His finger twitched on the lever still he kept his Kimber lowered. Casual. In dire hope she wouldn't notice.

Her gaze flickered down. Of course she would notice. Jungkook cursed internally. That was when Yoongi pressed his heel against his own ever-so-slightly. Nudged him another time but this time a bit more on the left. And Jungkook understood. As he kept watching the woman he trained his peripheral vision on his left - there! An opening.

He didn't think long, grabbed his hyung's wrist and leapt to the rim on  his left. The person responsible for that side weakly gripped him on the ankle, hand loose. Not even far enough to stop him. Jungkook wanted to laugh already as freedom was so close.

A sudden hot pain flared through him, too strong to even locate where it hurt. Jungkook choked on a scream. Squinted his eyes, tried to regain focus. 

That's when everything went black.

Dark, allmighty black.

He was already knocked out before he hit the roof.

Jungkook woke up with a sharp gasp. 

The first thing he noticed was his hurting neck, strained from his head hanging down for too long. The second thing were the cuffs around his hands, third the rope keeping his arms and legs snug against his body. He tugged on the restraints but of course they didn't budge.

Then he looked up. And immediately wished he hadn't. Because he did not like what he saw at all.

Not far away stood the blonde woman, now making her way towards him. Where she had been standing mere moments ago he could see Yoongi laying on the floor - the floor of that god-damned hall they had run through for getting to the tower. Dark stripes of crusted blood were sticking below his second's nose. Yoongi had yet to awake, he was laying on the cold floor unmoving like a rock. Then he couldn't see his hyung anymore as a second woman joined the blonde one.

Looking up to her through brown bangs with large doe eyes. She reached out for the stern one, their fingers grazing for a short moment. The small brunette smiled endearingly. 

It was such an intime scene Jungkook felt like an intruder. Until the blonde's gaze snapped back to him, cold and razor-sharp as ever. Dagger-woman sensually ran a hand along the other woman's jawline without looking at her, only looking at her prey. At Jungkook. Then she crouched down before him, grabbing a fistful of his raven hair and tilting his head up.

"Thank you, Milena", she said. Blank. Still the other woman seemed to glow as she beheld those words. Lowering her head she scurried back to the other six black clad people with a small smile tugging at her lips. The row of six men opened to respectfully let her take a place between them. Jungkook watched the scene silently. Seriously, he didn't understand how a girl like that could be part of the cruelest gang he knew.

Dagger-woman followed his gaze. Humming in aggreement. "She is a gem, isn't she? And apparently the reason you are here now."

Jungkook just stared, saying nothing. He wouldn't beg for an explanation. Hell, he wouldn't beg for anything. Not infront of that woman. She would talk on her own, eventually. The evil guys were always like that. When they have their victim putty in their hands it's time for the boasting and revealing the great plan. He doubted the blonde would be an exception. 

Indeed, she went on.

"You thought you could escape me, didn't you? Thought you could just jump into death before I could get my hands on you. Shame it didn't work. Maybe if you had dodged Milena you could've had a chance. But like this you made it so easy for us... made it so easy for her to touch you, use her Blessing on you and lower your heart's frequence until you lost consciousness. Sadly she didn't get your partner too but he was so baffled all I had to do was hit him once and he fell down right next to you."

She sighed dryly. "Really, I expected more. You are too easy."

She got up and now there were emotions written on her face as she glared down to him. Anger. Rage. And disgust. Jungkook held her stare. Neither of them budged. The woman cracked her neck, still looking at him. Rolled her shoulders. Bent her wrist. Something glinted.

That was when Jungkook broke eye contact. A small sharp black knife was laying in her hand. The blonde surged forward and pressed the knife against his ear in one fluid movement. 

"I may not have a useful Blessing like Rosie did", she whispered lowly, threateningly. "But I still know many ways to make you scream and beg for your death." The knife changed its angle and a hot sting shot through Jungkook's neck. The first drop of blood ran down his skin. He clenched his teeth and pulled on his restraints again.

Then all of a sudden many things happened at once.

With a loud bang the entrance door flew open. From one moment to another the air was filled with flying bullets and the deafening noise of a machine gun shooting nonstop. Yoongi bolted up and kicked the nearest man in the balls as the others positioned themselves to defend and counter-attack. Dagger-woman whirled around in fury as she'd been interrupted. Bullets were flying around wildly. People were running around, shouting and hiding behind concrete pillars.

It was a loud, bloody mess.

And in all the chaos Jungkook saw him.

Taehyung was sprinting towards him in a wide bow with lowered head. Then he was there, cutting the ropes trapping Jungkook and hugging him, already sobbing. With his hands still cuffed the maknae couldn't even hug him back.

He wanted to drown in that hug, in the scent of Tae that meant comfort and home.

But hell was still raging around them as Hoseok had taken a spot behind a corner shooting around wildly with his Kalashnikov and the few guys left had made it to some pillars and were stepping out to give a few shoots before hurrying back into safety. The brunette was laying on the ground, drenched in blood. Not far away from her dagger-woman kept her ground as she fought back like a wild animal. For a second her gaze flickered back to Jungkook. He gulped.

"Go!" He pushed Taehyung away from him and towards Hoseok. Yoongi was nowhere to be seen. Taehyung stumbled, eyes wide in panic and Jungkook ushered him to keep running. The moment the singer reached a pillar Jungkook ran to another one closeby. 

They hurried from pillar to pillar, Hoseok giving them guard. Halfway they met Yoongi, his hands covered with blood. Jungkook didn't ask further.

A buff figure barreled towards them and on instinct Jungkook punched right in his face. Yoongi was over him in an instant and blew the stranger's head away with a gun that was definitely not his own. Taehyung retched.

As they almost were at Hoseok Jungkook allowed himself to peer around a pillar for some longer. The floor was covered with bullet shells and bodies. He counted six corpses. The only one left was...

The blonde. How else could it be? 

But where was she?

They ran the last metres towards Hoseok as she bolted from around a pillar to their left and fired. Both Hoseok and Yoongi turned to answer her shooting, blowing holes in her body everywhere with rattling noise. She pulled the trigger two more times, snarling at Jungkook before she hit the ground forever with an ugly thump.

Jungkook felt an irrational laughter bubble up in him as she had missed him at such a close distance. He was unharmed save for a few scratches. They- they had made it! Greatly relieved that now finally everything was over and fatigue already crashing down on him he turned around. 

And his whole world froze.

Because Taehyung - it was Taehyung! A huge dark spot was spreading on the brunet's stomach. Surprised, he clutched the severe wound, blood flowing down his bare fingers and dripping onto the ground. It had been Taehyung she'd been aiming at.

Jungkook couldn't move. 

Couldn't move at all as the brunet looked up to him for help, gaze already clouding. Couldn't move as his hyungs rushed towards Taehyung, as his legs gave out and he slumped down. Couldn't move as Yoongi kept shouting something and Hoseok ripped off his shirt to press it on the wound.

As the person he loved most in the world lost consciousness right infront of him.

He had failed him.

Yoongi was dragging him out, Hoseok carrying the limp singer in his arms. They somehow made it to the forger's car. Jungkook was pushed in the backseat and Taehyung laid down there. Then they were driving, driving god knows where but Jungkook was still numb. The only thing he did was resting a hand above Tae's heart. Counting his heart beats.

231.

After 231 shallow beats he didn't feel anything anymore.

Now his tears were flowing, silent, unstopped.

You can't just leave me yet. Don't leave me. Please, please stay with me!

But there came no other heartbeat, no other breath coming.

Tae was gone.

Don't hate me plz.

Is even anybody still reading this except for two people?

...

Writing on a new laptop with functioning battery is a delight~

See you on next update... the story is slowly coming to an end ^^