"What the hell is happening, Sica?!"

 

Yoona growled over her comms system as she dragged their asses to safety—she and a still-in-dazed Yuri—behind a post after pellets and sounds of guns being fired occupied the hollow basement floor out of the blue.

 

"I don't ing know! I was too occupied in watching your stupid being ted by the police I didn't notice this ing people entering the premise!"

 

The Im quietly grunted.

 

She didn't see this coming.

 

Not this ambush. Not this encounter with the police.

 

Especially not with this incident with Yuri.

 

Gaaaahhhh!!

 

Yuri already knows who she really is. Who the ing Im Yoona really is.

 

And the Im must admit that she never expected this day to come sooner than she expected.

 

Not when they just passionately shared their first kiss together; not when how right Yoona felt locking lips with the Kwon and grazing their tongues as it danced to the beat of their own desires; not when how perfect their fingers fitted as they interlocked them with each other's.

 

And not when Yoona finally found her purpose of living in the form of Yuri—ready to trade every bit of humanity and morality that is left of her scornful life just to be with the Kwon.

 

She fell to the mysterious trap-hole called love.

 

And she was caught by this calm-demeanor cop with open arms..

 

..until tonight's unfortunate event happened.

 

Yoona briskly whipped her head to the person squished behind the post with her, beside her—only to crush her heart into pieces at the sight.

 

Yuri was blank. Her eyes were blank. Her face screamed nothing but blankness.

 

She looked like she wasn't the same woman Yoona used to lovingly steal glances at.

 

No more gleaming pair of orbs.  No more perfectly arched brows raising cutely at her. No more renowned Kwon smirk quipped up on the latter's lips flashing before her.

 

It's almost it never existed in the first place at how distant Yuri looked right now.

 

And what makes this even more painful for the doe-eyed girl is the fact that she herself is the very reason behind this apathy.

 

That she herself caused every single trouble that is happening around them.

 

"Yuri.." Yoona squeaked, carefully and silently. As if she was to break every bit of the fragile Kwon should she call louder.

 

Yet Yuri remained downright empty. Like she’s never hearing anything at all.

 

“Yuri..”

 

Yoona tried again. This time with a little bit of her usual voice—the noise of raging pistols on the background.

 

Still, Yuri stayed immobile.

 

Unresponsive.

 

Traumatized.

 

Until Yoona decided to reach out. Until Yoona began extending a hand to touch that of Yuri’s. Until Yoona’s warmth came into contact with Yuri’s unbelievably cold ones.

 

Then the cop finally responded.

 

She finally came back to her senses Yoona didn’t even notice when it gone astray.

 

The latter could only wish that in those split seconds of Yuri being in a limbo, with all that ventures and facts crashing all together like an unforeseen avalanche wrecking every tad bit of cloud nine the two of them used to be in..

 

..Yuri will still be, will still miraculously be, the same chic cop who vowed to never leave Yoona ever.

 

Those crap and shattered dreams.

 

Broken promises and trivial crux.

 

Altogether collapsing right under Im Yoona’s nose.

 

With a solid yank of her hand that was touched by the Im, as if she came in touch with a very scorching surface of hell, and a pair of hollow, indifferent orbs looking up from where it came from.

 

Straight from Yuri’s consumed soul that Yoona never thought existed in the woman.

 

Everything has crumbled down.

 

Y-Yuri…

 

And Yoona could only watch silently, hearing her own heart splintering into pieces and mind screaming in vain, when those icy pair of eyes finally looked up, stared right through her, coupled with trembling lips trying hard to formulate the words,

 

“So it’s been you all this time..”

 

It was neither a question nor a statement. It was something in the middle of both that Yoona, for once, doesn’t know how to retaliate.

 

“It has been you all this ing time..”

 

Yoona had to look away, blinking her eyes rapidly to prevent anything from falling. For a hired killer like her, it shouldn’t be her nature to be wispy on times like this.

 

Not when she’d seen the worst possible scenarios one could possibly think of.

 

Bar this.

 

Yoona never expected that there could be any more worst possible scenarios she would see unfold right before her other than the inhumane and rough plots in putting down her assignments.

 

And it’s this.

 

Watching Yuri in realization that the person she fell in love with is the very same person she abhorred.

 

Yes. It’s her.

 

Im Yoona.

 

It has always been her.

 

A hammer of a gun clicked. And in her peripheral vision, Yoona saw a pistol pointing at her.

 

That when she finally whipped her head back to the Kwon affront of her, she doesn’t know what exact emotion to feel at the very moment.

 

Yuri’s own pistol was pointing at her.

 

With Yuri’s own arm extending and supporting the gun in her hand, directing it centimeters away from Yoona’s nose.

 

Yuri’s grip on the gun was hard. It wasn’t trembling.

 

But what was more noticeable and way distressing fact at hand is neither just how Yuri gripped the gun nor how steady it looked like.

 

It was how the cop’s eyes flickered of both empty space and fury at the same time. It was full of resolution and finality she looked like she’s ready to pull the trigger and fire.

 

She doesn’t look hesitant at all.

 

Yoona could only watch in vagueness.

 

This is retribution.

 

The prize of all the lives she had mercilessly taken away.

 

And it’s in the form of Kwon Yuri—the very person she would trade her whole, crappy world for.

 

The person she fell in love with.

 

BANG! BANG!

 

Albeit quite faint, the sound of figures falling down on the floor was heard nearby.

 

Yoona blinked her doe-eyes twice. Thrice.

 

Yuri fairly missed the strands of locks dangling on Yoona’s left cheek and the latter’s left ear as the cop slightly tipped the gun’s muzzle to where she saw two men about to shoot Yoona from behind.

 

Much to the Im’s wonder.

 

Yoona checked the two figures behind her, sprawled on the floor, lifeless. She noted Yuri’s high precision in shooting and didn’t stop herself in mentally admiring her more.

 

The vigilant side of the doe-eyed woman overcame soon after. With a step of her heel on the gun near one dead body, the pistol came rocketing up from the floor, spinning in an artistic manner only Im Yoona could sort out.

 

The handgun perfectly landed on Yoona’s freehand and immediately held it like a pro.

 

It would be unfair to let Yuri do all the shooting, would it?

 

Jerking her head back the Kwon, Yoona saw Yuri staring at her. Something in the way she stared made Yoona feel stripped and bare.

 

Like she’s a specimen in the lab being examined and scrutinized.

 

Yoona doesn’t like the feeling at all.

 

“Yoona!”

 

Before  Yoona could grasp what was happening, her cuffed hand was abruptly yanked away from her position, making her stumble back to whatever concrete material she is being shoved into.

 

The familiar scent of strawberry filled her nostrils soon after. And a pair of those Asian eyes she dearly admired are flickering right before her—too close yet too far.

 

Yuri just saved her from flooding bullets that eventually flew right after they hid back into the post they were in moments ago.

 

Noting their current position, with how the both of them are squished behind the post in a very proximate manner, Yoona wished that they could stay longer. That she could feel Yuri's warmth even just a little bit more of the time this crappy world has—at least just to ensure her that it's still worth living for. And that it's not yet too late for the both of them.

 

For whatever special connection it is that they have.

 

She and Yuri.

 

If it still exists.

 

So when Yuri deliberately loosened her grip on the Im, shot the latter one of those glares she rarely used on anyone, and coldly turned her body to start shooting at the people raining bullets without leaving a word on the girl, Yoona knew it's over.

 

It's over.

 

Her little fantasy with Yuri is gone. Everything about them now is nothing but a failed, human attempt of obtaining total bliss in a world filled with misery.

 

It's over.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

"Oh .."

 

Great.

 

If this very unfortunate, which is obviously plotted and planned, ambush with Yoona and the cops is not yet frustrating enough, Jessica just had to see this.

 

A group of suited men are on the elevator of their building, looking like high-caliber guards of some rich businessman, calmly riding on the lift as it goes up to where they're supposed to be.

 

9th floor.

 

Jessica noted the highlighted number on the lift button one of the men just pressed. And she couldn't be pissed more.

 

It's the number where their flat belongs.

 

Where she is currently at.

 

"It's a trap Yoona.." Jessica declared as she shook her head, getting up from her seat towards her bed.

 

"You think?"

 

She heard the Im reply from the other line, the echoes of gun blaring on Jessica's ear. Her reply was momentarily forgotten when she finally took hold of the thing she grabbed under the covers of her bed.

 

A 45 caliber gun.

 

Jessica briefly checked the pistol she'd always kept for emergency purposes before turning her head back to the monitors across her room.

 

Looks like she has her own set of little devils to kill tonight.

 

Or more like, her own set of devils ordered to kill her tonight.

 

"There are like 10 men headed towards me right now, Yoong. And they're also armed.."

 

 

 

***

 

 

"What?!"

 

Yoona stopped caring about hiding her responses to Jessica once she realized that there's no point in covering things up.

 

They're screwed already.

 

What worse thing could happen?

 

"What are you talking about?!"

 

Oh right.

 

Getting killed.

 

Yoona wouldn't care more if she's the only one involved here. Her life's nothing but a wasted piece of junk always been recycled for the purpose of wasting it all over again.

 

It doesn't matter.

 

She doesn't matter.

 

But the people surrounding her.

 

Yuri, Jessica, Seulgi, Taeyeon, Irene, Sooyoung—their lives matter. They are the productive part of the biome which must be preserved and saved.

 

And she cannot just be slack and let them die.

 

Especially not Jessica—her partner in crime.

 

The person who've seen almost all of Yoona throughout the years they've spent. Her second family and sole friend.

 

And she's in danger..

 

..without Yoona around protecting her.

 

Everything falls into places.

 

The cops knowing where their assignment will be, Yoona being caught by the latter, these armed men appearing out of nowhere and firing guns unto them.

 

And now Jessica...with her own group of thugs to fight in the absence of Yoona to come and rescue.

 

This has been plotted perfectly to put them, including Yuri and her team, down into the peace of their graves once and for all.

 

And Yoona absolutely knows who is the foul creature behind all these.

 

"Looks like Kim Young Min had gotten even this time Yoong.. We're all trapped.."

 

No.

 

"Take care of my cousin for me, Yoong.. Don't let her die there.."

 

"Sica unnie! Don't say that!"

 

Yoona heard the trembling voice of the youngest over the line. She almost forgot that Seulgi was with her—probably terrified at the deafening sounds of guns filling the empty basement.

 

No.

 

"Whatever happens to me kiddo, do know that I enjoyed our times together as partners in crime.."

 

No.

 

"Sica unnie!"

 

Yoona is not letting Jessica die.

 

Not in any other time. Especially not now.

 

And she'll do whatever that her haywired mind is telling her to do—albeit the risk—just to save her partner's .

 

"Shut up .. I ain't letting you die.."

 

Yoona briefly peeked behind the post they're covered. Despite the abruptness, her eyes caught a glimpse of a specific midget crouched behind a car with Sooyoung, trying their hardest to avoid the bullets flying everywhere.

 

This is her only card.

 

"Taeyeon!"

 

Jessica's eyes widened over the monitors after hearing Yoona's declaration. She knows perfectly what the girl's trying to do.

 

And she doesn't like any bit of it.

 

"Don't you dare Im Yoona!"

 

Oooh. But Yoona dares to.

 

So she called again, this time a little louder to get the person's attention. "Taeyeon!!!"

 

Yuri beside her plainly shot a glance at the Im before proceeding to shoot again. Although in her mind, she is purely curious as to what the woman beside her is planning to do, involving her friend.

 

"Kim Taeyeon!"

 

Finally, the midget being addressed jerked her head towards the direction of the voice calling her. Yoona could've laughed hysterically if not of their current situation because OHMYGHAD, Taeyeon's surprised face is the cutest face ever.

 

Mouth agape, wide eyes blinking rapidly, lips trying its hardest to formulate words.

 

Now Yoona knows why Jessica once said that anyone could fall in love with the kid even just by looking.

 

" Yoona! Don't drag Taeyeon into this!!"

 

"Sorry Sica.. I can't let you die there.." Yoona muttered, loud enough for the cop beside her to hear, before whipping her head back to the astonished midget across the hall.

 

"Cheongdam-dong district, Bubble St, Chaneun building, 9th floor, door 18. That's where Jessica is right now. And she needs you—"

 

Yuri pulled her back to the post when another set of shells came flying.

 

Yoona saw how, in that littlest moment, Yuri's eyes blinked of worry, to which gave the doe-eyes girl momentary bliss that maybe Yuri still cares about her, before those pair of orbs flickered back into that cold facade.

 

Or was it just her imagination deluding her?

 

"What are you talking about?! H-How do you know Jessica???" Yoona heard Taeyeon yelling back. She inhaled a heap of air before peeking again, trying her hardest to avoid the pellets coming across.

 

"No time to explain Taeyeon! If you still want to see Jessica, you need to go! Or she'll die.."

 

There was a quick moment of contemplation on the part of the Kim. Yoona was worried that they're running out of time. That Jessica would be damned.

 

But when Taeyeon abruptly, and with resolution, got up from her position and cautiously dragged the Choi to crawl inside the vehicle covering them, Yoona saw a gleam of hope.

 

Oh the power of love.

 

Before Taeyeon could slide herself inside the driver's seat, Yoona saw the cop turn her head towards her, and left the words that will be her stick of motivation to make it out alive—all of them.

 

"Take care of my girls! Especially Yuri.."

 

A quick smile and a nod was her response, coupled with the statement that both hurt and flattered the cop beside her, "When did I never?"

 

The sound of a car's engine fading away in the background was heard soon after.

 

 

***

 

 

"Seulgi.. Seulgi, listen to me.." Yoona spoke through her comms system, trying to sound calm and authoritative to the hyperventilating bear over the line.

 

The Im could hear the youngest's quick, short breaths on her ear. Seulgi must be terrified.

 

"I-Is Jessica u-unnie gonna be o-okay?? Huh handsome unn-unnie?"

 

Yoona closed her eyes at how helpless and fretful Seulgi sounded. It reminded her of Hanna's own question of her living longer despite her illness that the latter once asked Yoona about.

 

It's heartbreaking.

 

"Yes bear. Your Sica unnie will be fine. Taeyeon's on her way to save her. Don't worry about her, okay??"

 

The tenderness in every word and the security those every word emitted clutched every bit of living being in Yuri. Taking a glance at the Im beside her, Yuri saw how intense Yoona's brows are furrowed together and those pair of eyes screaming anxiety all over.

 

But Yuri decided to look away.

 

"Relax baby bear.. Your badass unnie will be—"

 

TOOT. TOOOT. TOOOT.

 

The line was suddenly cut, making two persons rise in alarm and fret even more.

 

"Sica unnie!!"

 

"Hello??? Jessica!! Answer me! Sica!" Yoona let out a desperate grunt, ".."

 

"Alright.. How far did you go from where I am, Seulgi?" The Im then inquired, taking a cautious scan over the vicinity.

 

"N-Not that far, unnie.. I'm just cars away from you.."

 

It's a good thing these guys didn't see and harm the Kang in ways Yoona couldn't imagine. They could've been in the lot anticipating for the police and Yoona to appear for their malicious ambush.

 

"Okay.. Can you see that post with 6B written on it?"

 

"Yes I can see it unnie.."

 

"In my signal, I want you to drive towards that post as fast as you can. Got it?"

 

Yoona caught a deep inhale taken by the girl over the line before answering, "Yeah I got it unnie."

 

With this, Yoona jerked her head to the Kwon beside her, who was surprisingly listening to the whole conversation all this time.

 

Not that Yoona expected her not to.

 

On that very moment, both of their eyes met. And as if what they're doing was their usual glance-and-know routine the both of them eventually mastered, Yuri had grasped what Yoona's stare is implying, with words unspoken.

 

"Irene!"

 

Yuri called, making the addressed person whip her head to the woman.

 

The other cop was in her own struggle dodging the daggers all over the place. She was hiding behind a post across YoonYul's hiding location.

 

"Cover us!"

 

With a blink, Irene nodded in vigor and fearlessness.

 

The cop took a careful stance behind the post before getting out from it and started pulling the trigger of her gun, firing with all her might for all them goons to take and eat.

 

This was Yuri and Yoona's cue.

 

"Now Seulgi!"

 

The two of them sprinted as speedy as they could towards Irene and towards the post where Jessica's Audi soon appeared, bringing with it a very delicate-looking Seulgi.

 

"Come on unnie! Faster!!" The bear yelled, encouraging the two towering figures to run much faster than they're already doing.

 

Without them noticing, Yoona and Yuri's hands unconsciously crept towards each other's, interlacing both of their fingers to make sure that no one slips away.

 

That no one is left behind.

 

And that the both of them will make it out alive.

 

So when there was a sudden halt on their steps and a low groan emitted from among the two of them—which Yoona was sure wasn't hers—it was total disaster.

 

At the very least for the doe-eyed girl.

 

Because when she turned her head to the person beside her, Yuri was already in great pain with her free hand clutching that of her lower torso..

 

..which was severely bleeding.

 

The tanned cop is shot.

 

And Yoona is not happy about it.

 

"Y-Yuri..hey, hey.." The Im crouched down the level of the hurting Kwon, already on her knees to aid help.

 

More groans were produced by the injured woman when Yoona lifted her up and began assisting her towards the car, which was a little bit hard due to their shackled hands.

 

Irene, who was busy shooting shells, saw the commotion on her peripheral view. Leaving a couple more shots, the Bae dashed towards the two figures who were now limping to the car.

 

Once at the Audi, Irene assisted Yoona in settling Yuri in the backseat with the latter, before hurriedly sliding in the passenger's seat.

 

Only to get a surprise of her life when she saw who was the one on the driver's seat.

 

"Pringles??"

 

Seulgi could only smile awkwardly, "H-Hi.."

 

Cartridges came flying and burst out the windshield, fairly missing someone's ear on that matter.

 

Of whose, the four of them wasn't sure.

 

"Drive!! Go go go!!!"

 

Screeching of tires and the roaring rev of a car blared all throughout the hollow parking lot, coupled with the deafening noise of high caliber pistols firing as the backdrop.

 

One was sweating bullets as she bleed gallons; the other trying to keep calm and press a wound so as to lessen the great amount of living gushing out from one; another was occupied in firing her own gun to at least reduce the number of people shooting at them; and the one other steering the wheels with shaking hands and disarrayed mind to get their souls out of trouble.

 

With all that chaotic and hellish encounter and that life-threatening attempt to drive through the hole of a needle inside a burning box of guns and s, Seulgi doesn't know how they were able to survive all of that.

 

She still can't believe that she managed to step on the pedal hard yet safely that now, they're roaring through the almost empty highway of Seoul, already out of danger, with the four of them alive and still intact.

 

Or so she thought.

 

"The hospital's just a 3-minute drive from here.. Go Pringles.." Seulgi heard Irene command beside her.

 

Right.

 

Someone's shot.

 

Her handsome unnie's girl is shot.

 

And that very girl had just outcried as a response, "N-no..gghhhhh..a-anywhere but the..anywhere but the ho-hospital, Rene.."

 

Yuri struggled to formulate the words, scrunching her face into the most painful way Yoona ever saw besides her sister Hanna's reaction when undergoing chemo before.

 

It's too heartbreaking Yoona wanted to take the pain of the Kwon to herself and own it.

 

Yuri doesn't deserve this.

 

"What is this nonsense unnie?!" Irene blurted out from the front, "You're bleeding for Pete's sake! Where other place is there to bring you into if not the hospital??"

 

"Ggghh...I-I don't knhhooooww..Ju-just..not the hospital Hyuuun..any-anywhere but theeeere..."

 

A loud sigh came out from the Bae. This is plainly stupid for her.

 

But after a couple massage on her temples, quick seconds of ponder and Yuri's breaths becoming ragged and short every second that passes, Irene finally announced.

 

"Alright. I think I know a place.." She eyed the bear-looking driver beside her before uttering.

 

"I'll give you the directions. Step on it, Pringles.."

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

Another sound of shattering glass filled the place.

 

More calm steps of people getting in and a few, undecipherable murmurs can be heard.

 

A couple more incomprehensible clamors echoed.

 

Moments after, the noise of something breaking blared. And all Jessica could do was to close her eyes and mentally sob.

 

Those were her set of computers being lambasted and ruined into pieces. The Jung could hear their cries and wails begging these men to stop torturing them.

 

They're her self-proclaimed babies after all.

 

But that is something that matters less right now.

 

Because what is more audible is the sound of her own heart thumping in the greatest rate. Jessica could hear her blood rushing through her veins and her pulse beating on their points.

 

This is not good.

 

These men are crucially near her hiding spot.

 

And knowing their number, with her gun's ammos partially consumed from the initial shots she gave after these guys appeared, Jessica is screwed.

 

She could only clutch on her gun tightly and mentally recite litany of beseeches to save her from this stupid trap.

 

Together with the question running through her mind, painstakingly and vehemently,

 

Where are you, Taeyeon??

 

 

_____________

A/N: If you're still reading this Accelcore, hey, this whole trap-thing was your idea remember? Or was it yours? Hahaha. Not really sure but I do remember one avid reader suggesting for a scene like this. Or something like this. So here it is. Kekeke.

 

So? Was it intense? The action's just getting started guys. Keep your hearts checked hahaha! Anyway, yours truly is still muddled up with my own reality of life and slow updates are still expected in my stories.

 

CMIYC gets a lot of love and I'll continue to work hard as your author because of your support! ^_^  Thank you! Write me something loves! :)