Yuri handed the flashlight to Jessica while she pulled the door open. When the door fell open, Yuri the light and placed it in so she could climb down the ladder. Jessica watched as Yuri descended down into the darkness before she followed. She wasn’t sure if this was something she should be doing or not. For all Jessica knew, Yuri secretly wanted her dead, although that didn’t seem like something one of Taeyeon’s friends would do...right?

In any case, Jessica knew that she couldn’t go back now that she was a little more than halfway down, “Jessica there is a little bit of a jump you have to do at the end. I will tell you when.” Jessica looked down at the light Yuri was shining in her direction, “Ok. That is the last step.” Breathing in quickly, Jessica let go of the bars and landed on her feet, “See not that bad.”

Trying to get her bearings, Jessica looked around the darkness a bit but she didn’t have much time to look into the black abyss as Yuri started walking away, “Where are you going?”

“Lights. It is frickn’ creepy down here in the dark.” Yuri stated as she continued to walk away from the ladder they descended on.

Like a lost little puppy, Jessica followed Yuri closely since the looming darkness gave her chills, “How can you find the lights down here?”

With a soft chuckle, “Why would you assume this is the first time I came down here?”

“Why would you want to come down here more than once?”

“I don’t. Taeyeon does.” Suddenly Yuri stopped and handed the flashlight to Jessica, “Shine the light in front of me.”

Jessica did as she was told while she watched Yuri flip several switches in the fuse box. It didn’t take long for the flickering of lights to steady and illuminate the area. In the darkness Jessica would have never guessed the place she was in but with the lights shining, Jessica was beyond confused to why they were in a place like this. “Subway?”

“Not just any subway line. The abandoned line 1 and stop number 6.” Jessica never took the subway much but she was no stranger to the way they worked and the significance of this particular location. Looking around more, Jessica noticed several bundles of new and old flowers. Of course it was here that 38 lives were lost. It was here where the Party gained a large amount of support. It was here where the Resistance became hated. And it was here that the line 1 ended.

“Don’t tell me...Taeyeon’s family? They were victims of the Resistance bombing?”

Yuri started laughing, “First off, Taeyeon is an orphan from a very young age and was involved in the Resistance long before the bombing. Secondly, you are an ignorant fool to believe the Resistance would kill their own people.”

Jessica was shocked, “Their own people?”

Yuri walked forward, past the yellow line, so she could pick up some of the flowers, “Of the 38 people that died, 32 exactly were members of the Resistance. It was a huge blow for us. It didn’t affect our number of members exactly, but morale towards the movement plummeted. That was also the day, Taeyeon decided to leave level 6.”

“What is up with level 6? Taeyeon said it was the longest time she spent in one level, and then you say it is a special level and now you are talking about it again!”

Yuri was shocked to see Jessica slightly flustered, “Humm well I can’t give you details about level 6 and what they do, but I can tell you that everything Taeyeon loved and cherished was in level 6. That was the reason she chose not to leave...well that was until the subway incident.”

Jessica walked up to Yuri so they could sit while hanging their legs over the edge of the platform, “So if it wasn’t Taeyeon’s family on the subway, who did she know?”

“You could say Taeyeon was lucky to have met certain people in her life. She was brought into the Resistance by one of our founders. Most of us don’t even know the faces of our founders for their personal safety but this man basically picked her up from the streets and started raising her in the Resistance. After a while, the Resistance was becoming bigger and the man couldn’t take care of Taeyeon so he decided to make his daughter Taeyeon’s mentor. Taeyeon looked up to that girl so much that you could say that she was Taeyeon’s only family. Although Taeyeon’s mentor was level 2, she spent much of her time in level 6 as their unofficial leader. Some say it was because she liked the work but everyone who knew her personally, knew she stayed to look after Taeyeon. Taeyeon of course loved her unnie, but her reasons for staying in level 6 were due to another girl. Taeyeon’s first love...well only love that I know of really. Both were on that train that day. Even one of the founders was on board that train...I am not sure if you heard of Chansung yet, but it was his father. His father was one of the founders of the Resistance. Taeyeon’s savior/Resistance founder was supposed to be on the train as well but luck was on our side with him getting caught up in work that day...although he lost his wife and daughter that day as well.”

Jessica was looking down at the wilted flower, “S-so...her first love and mentor died?”

“Yea...I had never seen Taeyeon so broken after that day. We all were but it was like something snapped in her. She never talked about going up levels but she told Yoona that day she wanted to join the level 2 bomb squad. Yoona knew it was because Taeyeon didn’t want something like that to happen to innocent people ever again because of the Party.”

Jessica looked up in shock, “Are you saying the Party did it on purpose?”

“Of course! Why wouldn’t they?? They had the perfect chance to get rid of people they hated and they even were able to twist it to the point where they got sympathy instead of the real victims. Those leaches are willing to do whatever to get favor.” Yuri crunched the flower in her hand, “They always take what they want for their benefit.”

Jessica could see the anger in Yuri’s eyes, “Is that why you joined the Resistance? The Party did something to you?”

“Jessica have you ever noticed not too many people in the Resistance are above the age of 30?”

Jessica thought back to all the people involved in the movement and she hardly remembered too many older people, “I guess not.”

“Haven’t you ever wondered why there are so many young people compared to older folks?”

Jessica leaned back on her hands, “Not until you mentioned it till now.”

“It is because we are all orphans. Our families were taken away. Since the Party started, they would eliminate all those that stood in their way....leaving wives without husbands, husbands without wives, and children without parents. The Party would give us a ration card and say ‘you are on your own.’ That was until someone took us in. Not all kids are lucky to join the Resistance and will certainly never join the Party. The Resistance is the only home some of us know.”

Jessica looked over at Yuri. She saw the sadness in her eyes, “How old....how old were you when you lost them?”

“Ten. I think I am one of the unlucky ones.”

“Why is that?”

“I still remember their face, the way we used to laugh....I still remember them.” Yuri wiped away the tear that streamed down, “Although Taeyeon lost more in the past 5 years...she was lucky to not have those kind of memories haunt her too.”

Jessica felt the flood of memories with her family come back, “Yea....maybe.”

Yuri sniffled a bit before standing back up, “Anyway...enough about my life. I still need to show you something since we are down here.” Jessica threw the flower down so she could stand up and follow Yuri. The two jumped down on to the tracks so they could walk into the tunnel, “Anyone who took the subway should know that line 1 intersects with line 2 and 4 exactly one stop away from this one.”

Jessica nodded, “I still remember the layout.”

“The Resistance doesn’t use bombs to counterattack the Party, but the Party likes people to think that we do by using only homemade bombs for their attacks. We think this is quite funny because if we really wanted to do a bombing, the Resistance has access to factory made bombs.  However, we have one law the founders made us never forget.”

“What is that,” Jessica asked as they continued to walk through the dank tunnel.

“No killing unless in the need of defense. The killing of innocents is something we vow never to do.”

“I don’t get it, how can you beat someone like the Party without taking out some of their key leaders?”

Yuri laughed, “I feel like you need some time in level 6 to understand how strategy works.”

Jessica knitted her eyebrows in confusion, “Well then how do you take them out?”

“Have you ever heard of a saying that your best friend could be your worst enemy?”

Jessica shook her head ‘no.’

“Have you ever had a best friend?”

Jessica thought of Taecyeon and Hara, “Yes.”

“You told them all your secrets right?”

“Well...I haven’t told them I am in the Resistance.”

Yuri laughed, “Well that is a good secret to continue to keep. What about before you joined though?”

“Yea I guess so.”

“Have you ever thought that those secrets could make people think differently of you or they could take advantage of a certain weakness of yours?”

“It is possible but I trust them not to do that.”

Yuri smirked, “Trust. We intend to break it over and over again.”

Jessica thought for a while, “Are you saying you have people on the inside?”

“Is that so hard to believe?”

“Then they would have to live in the Party or be born of parents who are of the Party. It isn’t easy.”

“It is when one of the Party leaders is our leader.” Yuri stopped and then flashed her light to a hole in the side of the tunnel, “Look here.”

Jessica was baffled at the news that one of the Resistance leaders was actually someone powerful in the Party, “What is this?”

“This is the exact location of the explosion. We get intel about where certain bombings are and members of bomb defusing are sent out to disarm the bombs.”

“But this one went off.”

“Yes. It was a new type of bomb and our specialists triggered it earlier than it was originally going to go off. Do you know what would have happened if it went off on time?”

Jessica looked down at the darkness on one end before looking ahead to see a small light, “Don’t tell me the Party wanted to do more than kill 38 people?”

“The trains from line 2 and 4 were to pass this intersection within 3 and 6 minutes, respectively. We triggered the bomb 3 minutes before the train from line 2 was to come here. Once the bomb went off, the subway shut down for 20 minutes on all unrelated lines but line 2 and 4 were evacuated and shut down until the debris from line 1 was cleared.”

“Why were they aiming to take out line 2 and 4?”

“Killing 38 people is a big deal but imagine if over 100 were killed? What do you think the people who follow the Party would do?”

Jessica walked up to the hole in the wall and wiped her fingers over the debris, “The Resistance would probably lose all support. Maybe the Party could do something more proactive against the Resistance.”

“Exactly. Wow Taeyeon was right that you were a smart cookie.” Yuri walked towards Jessica who was still examining the debris, “This was supposed to be the one attack to end the movement.”

Jessica looked up, “This isn’t right...”

“But it would have worked. No one likes a terrorist group who kills innocent people. Well...that is how the Party would have sold it anyway.” Yuri looked at Jessica, “You asked why we have bomb defusing as a main focus to Taeyeon before. This is the reason.  We can’t have the Party using tactics like this to take us down and we certainly can’t have more innocent people die. We chose to sacrifice to help those in need. The two members that died right here, did just that. They may have not stopped all the damage but they did prevent the loss of maybe 70 lives that day. This is what the Resistance is. This is exactly why me and Taeyeon will fight for it no matter the cost of our lives.”

“I was brought up in the Party system. Brought up to think the opposite of what you are telling me now, but this is the first time I ever thought I got the truth. I get that you brought me down here to learn more about the Party than the Resistance...but why tell me now when I just joined? Couldn’t I have learned this in class eventually?”

Yuri reached out to touch the wall, “Anything can be taught in class and anyone could blindly follow what they were told but to touch, see and feel where the history happened...that is something real. I want you to see the truth through the steps of those that it happened to. I wanted you to see the spot where the victims had their lives taken due to political anarchy...I think then you would clearly see that the Party is not good for you.” Yuri took the flashlight from Jessica, “Come on. I think it is getting dark outside. We should head back.”

Jessica saw the receding light but with one last glance at the debris, Jessica knew this was the first link to the truth she was looking for.

----------------------------------

It was late by the time Jessica and Yuri came back but they managed to time the return perfectly with supper. Yuri excused herself to go to her room first but Jessica had plans to retire to her room immediately after eating so she chose to go to the dining hall alone. Once again, she was disappointed to be alone since it seemed Taeyeon’s squad still hadn’t returned from their supposed mission. Additionally, Jessica didn’t have Yuri to eat with so she was completely alone today therefore, she ate her meal quickly and went to the sleeping quarters.

Jessica went to her bed but hesitated and glanced at her chest for a few seconds before deciding to open it with her key. She shuffled around her belongings until she found what she was looking for. After relocking her chest, Jessica went to lay down in her bed so she could stick the photo she just took out, under one of the panels in the bed above her. She looked up at the old family portrait she managed to keep for all the years. Taking family photos was considered a luxury but soon after her sister was born, a family friend managed to steal away a camera so they could seal this one moment in time together.

In the photo, she saw her father sporting the winged badge of the Party. She remembered how she always wanted one of those too, but with the way things are now, she wished she could have told her father many things. She would have liked them to know the demons that used them as pawns but it was too late for that now. Jessica could only look at this photo to remind herself to why she joined the Resistance.

“There you are.”

Jessica nearly jumped off the bed startled with the sound of another person next to her bed. Quickly she looked over with a huge grin on her face before getting up and engulfing the girl in a hug, “You are back.”

Taeyeon giggled, “It seems you really missed me this time. Am I more than just a familiar face now?”

Jessica laughed along with the other girl, “You said you would be gone a day.”

Taeyeon urged the girl to sit down, “I thought so too...then we got out there and things happened. We almost got caught so our team needed to lay low for a few days until we could get out safely. I wanted to come back so you wouldn’t worry but I think getting caught and killed for treason isn’t something you would want either. I came here to apologize for making an empty promise to you.”

Jessica was surprised to hear Taeyeon actually being remorseful for something she didn’t have control over so Jessica reached out to hold Taeyeon’s hand as she looked her in the eyes, “I was worried but Yuri reassured me that you would be fine. No need to apologize.”

Taeyeon sighed, “I know but...I am your mentor. I can’t have you here on your own.”

Jessica thought back to the story about what happened to Taeyeon’s mentor, “Tae....you won’t leave me....because if you tried, I would come after you.”

Taeyeon was shocked, “W-what do you mean?”

‘I won’t leave you alone anymore. You don’t deserve another person to leave your side.’ Jessica thought, “I will be there with you. If you go, I go. Eventually, I will be there right with you.”

Taeyeon smiled, “I would like that.”

Author's Note

Well...that is a lot to take in. I will just let you soak that up and leave me comments if you have questions or things to say :)