Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/4092877.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Graphic_Depictions_Of_Violence, Major_Character_Death, Underage
  Category:
      M/M
  Fandom:
      방탄소년단_|_Bangtan_Boys_|_BTS
  Relationship:
      Jeon_Jeongguk_|_Jungkook/Kim_Taehyung_|_V
  Character:
      Jeon_Jeongguk_|_Jungkook, Kim_Taehyung_|_V, Bangtan_Boys_Ensemble
  Additional Tags:
      Alternate_Universe_-_Dark, Alternate_Universe_-_Future, Alternate
      Universe_-_Dystopia, Alternate_Universe_-_Robots_&_Androids, Nuclear
      Warfare, Post-Nuclear_War, Blood_and_Gore, Slight_Smut, Violence,
      Graphic, taekook, vkook, Taeshit_Jungthat, Whatever_the_fuck_this_is
      idek, Triggers, U_no_what_fml_because_Jesus_take_the_wheel
  Stats:
      Published: 2015-06-07 Words: 25319
****** In This War ******
by PaprikaFetus
Summary
     Jungkook hates empty promises, but he hates being alone even more.
     Yet, here he is again: cold, scared, hungry, and alone in this war.
Notes
     not even gonna try editing this one. there u have it. honestly, at
     the end, i kind of rushed things because i was too lazy to invest my
     time into it xD
Jungkook shook violently in his sleep, sweat oozing down his skin like snake's
venom. He shuddered, trying his best to dispose of the past that he still clung
to. Every night, Jungkook would have nightmares of the same event, same scene,
same misfortune. 
 
"No," he whispered in his sleep. He winced every while when an unpleasant
moment came into rage, not that any of his nightmares weren't
unpleasant. "Stop. Let her... No!" Jungkook jolted into a sitting position,
feeling the fever run him dry. With deep, heavy breaths, Jungkook realized that
it was just a nightmare, the same nightmare he sees at the end of each day. 
 
Taehyung stirred in his sleep, languidly rising from his position on the floor.
"Jungkook?" When he felt Jungkook's eyes on him, he placed a reassuring hand on
the younger's thigh, "you're fine. I'm right here." Taehyung pulled Jungkook
into a hug, fanning the coat of sweat against Jungkook's clear skin. 
 
"It's real, Taehyung," Jungkook croaked, closing his eyes. All he had was
Taehyung, his comfort and home in this dystopia. 
 
"We're past that now, Kookie."
 
"I just wish I was."
 
Taehyung shook his head, laying back down with Jungkook still in his arms. He
peacefully patted the younger male's chest in a rhythm that put Jungkook at
temporary ease. Jungkook knew the rhythm like the back of his hand; the steady
pats counting on every downbeat of four; the way Taehyung's hands would cater
to Jungkook's weary heart; however, Taehyung was the only one who could beat a
rhythm into his heart.
 
Taehyung heard the sniffling of Jungkook's nose as he whimpered, realizing that
Jungkook was still shedding fearful, painful, and scarred tears. As always,
Taehyung whispered comforting words to Jungkook while holding the younger with
such tender care, that Jungkook would fall asleep in Taehyung's arms. They were
alone in this war, but they were alonetogether.
 
 
 
"Ready to go?" Taehyung was curling rope in his hands, while Jungkook threw a
pack on his shoulders. Jungkook nodded and instinctively walked over to
Taehyung and helped him bundle the blankets and necessities together. "Thanks,"
Taehyung mentioned before turning around to grab his gun and dagger. Jungkook
carried the dual swords because hell, Taehyung was hopeless with a sword, let
alone dagger. At least, he was pretty skilled at shooting. Maybe cupid wasn't
his best game, but he was still capable of aiming. 
 
"Where are we off to next?" Jungkook asked. The space around them was quiet,
but, at least, they could hear the little pips and squeaks of rodents or the
sounds of roaches crawling on the floor. 
 
"I'd say south. The map is pretty promising if you ask it."
 
"I'm not asking the map, I'm asking you," Jungkook walked behind Taehyung,
standing against him while reading the map with no obvious reaction. Taehyung,
on the other hand, was flustered. He could feel Jungkook's chin brush against
his shoulder, as the younger male' eyes continued trailing the routes printed
on the paper. 
 
"If you want to take a look, then just ask for the map!" Taehyung exclaimed,
his heart beating a little faster than he intended it to.
 
"Like I said before, I don't need the map, I need you," Jungkook paused and
backed away to grab a few more items from the broken pile of cinder blocks, "to
give me answers."
 
Like that, Taehyung's heart went flat because there it is! The world class
baby, idiot, fighter, and blunt fucker, Jeon Jungkook. For the most part,
Taehyung' s intuition was pretty strong and he had confidence in it. He
believed that he was quick to notice things and he was also very proud of that
too. Sure, he could agree with the fact that maybe he wasn't the physically
strong one, compared to Jungkook, but good judgement could replace that
variable. 
 
"Jungkook, let's go now. I have the oxygen level monitor so let's hit the
road." Taehyung pulled on the younger male's sleeve, walking backwards to keep
his eye on their surroundings.
 
Jungkook nodded as the two began to jog away from last night's camp. He made
sure that Taehyung went first because God knows what might happen if Taehyung
was in the back and something happened. Jungkook couldn't risk it, especially
if Taehyung was all he had left ever since... that day. He and Taehyung jogged
hand-in-hand, scouting for a new temporary stay.
 
                                      +++
 
"Mom! I'm going to go play with Taehyung!" Jungkook's 10-year-old voice called
from outside the door. 
 
"One second!" Mrs. Jeon put down her apron and ran to the door with a fuzzy,
warm cloth in her hands. She opened the door in anticipation. "Jungkook-ah!
Here, put this on for me."
 
"What is this-oh."
 
"Do you like it?"
 
Jungkook cracked a smile and pecked his mother's cheek. "Thank you so much!
When did you make this for me?"
 
"Last night. I was knitting and remembered you asking for a scarf."
 
"Thank you. Now let me go play, mom! Taehyung's waiting for me."
 
"Alright." Right when Jungkook was about to run off, Mrs. Jeon caught his
elbow. "Wait. Jungkook," she caressed her son's warm cheeks, rubbing them with
her thumb, "I love you."
 
"Okay mom! Now can you let me go?" 
 
Mrs. Jeon playfully spanked her son's butt, scolding him for not caring about
his mother. By the time she ended her mock lecture, her son was gone. At
least... at least if my child can find joy in such a corrupt world, there's a
reason for me to smile, she thought. She decided that cleaning the house was a
better way to make use of her time, instead of pondering about what country
would hit who next.
 
The war has taken so much of everyone's family. The men of households, the
lives of innocents, the time and energy of peace advocates. Ever since The
Great Distrust, the world has gone in turmoil. Countries were now battling each
other, killing each other, and now creating robots to aid their own and
continue fighting against each other. It was now the year 2120 and the war had
started in 2060. Nuclear warfare had doomed all. Anything on the surface was
either rotting away, hiding away, or killing away to survive. 
 
After all, what happens if there's a ton of nukes flying in all over the place?
Who gets shot? What happens to the Earth? In nuclear war, food cannot grow,
marine and land ecosystems collapse, smoke from nuclear fires surface to the
stratosphere, creating a dense stratospheric cloud layer which doesn't allow
much sunlight to pass through (and humans need sunlight in order to survive),
temperatures begin to drop (astonishingly lower than freezing), and dangerous
UV lights will penetrate the Earth's atmosphere from mass destruction of the
protective ozone layer.
 
All of this was happening right now... and it was only going to get even
worse. 
 
 
 
"Taehyung! I'm here, I'm here!" Jungkook announced his presence while panting
because his 10-year-old body clearly did not have the proper stamina to run for
5 minutes. 
 
"Oh!" Taehyung turned around from his seat on top of a brick wall. "You're
here! Come, sit next to me, Kook-ah! You got a scarf?"
 
"Yeah! My mom made it for me!"
 
"It looks pretty! White suits you!"
 
"You're always so hyper," Jungkook giggled, grabbing Taehyung's small—but
bigger than Jungkook's—hand. Taehyung pulled his little follower up on top of
the wall, being that Jungkook was a lot smaller than Taehyung was, despite
their two-year age difference. Jungkook was 10 and he looked like he could use
some growth hormones, while Taehyung was 12 and he looked like he could just
stay handsome forever. Even the little girls in the USNA (Underground Shelter
for Nuclear Attacks) thought that Kim Taehyung was a dashing, strapping, young
man.
 
"You're always so short!" Taehyung giggled, wrapping an arm around Jungkook's
small frame. Jungkook was pouting, but his pout soon turned into a smile. "But
it's okay because if you get any bigger, I can't hug you anymore! You're my
baby, Jungkookie!"
 
Jungkook crossed his short little sausage arms and felt his pink little lips
jut out. It seems that everything about him was little. "What about YeRin? She
said that she liked you yesterday..."
 
"What about her?"
 
"Don't you... don't you like her back?"
 
"Why would I?"
 
"Because she likes you? She's pretty?"
 
Taehyung barked out a laugh and framed Jungkook's face with his hands; their
moment could be in a picture. "Wow! My Jungkookie is so adorable." Jungkook
turned away from Taehyung's gaze and continued to pout, but this time with his
eyebrows indenting. "Ya! I don't need anyone else besides you, Jungkook. I
don't want anyone else besides you." Of course, Korean kids were still little
babies until they were in their twenties, so this small little romance would be
equivalent to a 5-year-old's marriage proposal in a sandbox; however, just
because they were young and immature, doesn't mean that Taehyung hadn't meant a
word he said.
 
Taehyung gave that simple, but lovely reassuring smile when Jungkook had turned
around to face the latter. Jungkook's little boy heart couldn't take it
anymore. He felt the sparks jumbling around in his muscle, as Taehyung began to
lean forward. In the given moment, Jungkook found himself believing that Kim
Taehyung was surely the best thing that's ever happened to him in his life.
With a bone-crushing thud, Taehyung and Jungkook landed on the grass, their
backs aching from the sudden impact. Taehyung had his protective arms around
Jungkook's delicate body, burrowing his head against Jungkook's shoulder. 
 
"Are you okay?" Taehyung was the first to ask, checking for any signs of injury
on the younger's body.
 
Jungkook was shocked and scared, but he managed to put aside his worries in the
presence of Taehyung. "I-I'm okay... are you okay?"
 
"Don't worry about me, Jungkookie."
 
"But I fell on top-"
 
Another terrifying thud broke the seed of conversation. It was only after that,
Jungkook, Taehyung, and all the other inhabitants of the USNA stayed still.
Jungkook gulped. He had a dreading feeling that something, someone was going to
pop out and terrorize the shelter. His heart was pounding in his chest, feeling
the actual blood coursing through his veins because, shit, he didn't know if he
should cry, take a shit, or stay there.
 
"Jungkook, on the count of three, I want you to run with me, okay? Follow my
steps," Taehyung spoke without looking away from the thud's origin. "One."
Taehyung grabbed Jungkook's hand. "Two." they stood up. For a second, Taehyung
believed that he didn't need to get to three. Most likely, everyone thought
that three was unnecessary. 
 
But no.
 
Three was their murderer.
 
In pure horror, Jungkook and Taehyung watched the ground crumble above, forming
a giant hole, allowing any swine to enter what the USNA had established. A
single bloody body had dropped from the surface, falling into the crumbled dirt
and stone. Taehyung and Jungkook were far away from the scene, but there was no
lie in telling that whatever had fell was definitely a body. 
 
Taehyung whispered into Jungkook's ear, "run."
 
The two ran off towards their own homes, Taehyung, heading in the direction of
Jungkook's home first. While they ran, a small figure from a distance was
running towards them with bags in her hand.
 
"Mom!" Jungkook froze in his tracks and took the lead. "Mom!" he screamed with
all his might. She was saying something, but he couldn't quite catch it. As
they reached closer and closer, he finally heard what she was trying to say.
 
"Jungkook! Turn around! Hurry! Run far away! Keep running!" she screamed with
the sound of tears dripping from her voice. Just then, they fell when the
loudest boom had hit the surface of the ground. Jungkook's eyes darted towards
the sound, freezing when he and Taehyung had witnessed two, three, then four
bloody claws clutch onto the circumference of the giant hole. Two red, glowing
eyes revealed itself, as the whole figure of the beast had eased its way down
into the USNA. There was some sort of cloth attached to the sides of the beast,
its eyes still glowing a blood-shot red.
 
Slowly, the beast expanded its arms and began flapping.The cloth was for wings,
Jungkook noted. Just then, the beast smiled a sickening, murderous smile. It
let out an ear-deafening shrill, summoning its friends. The beast wasn't a
beast at all. It was a robot, the same robots used to aid mankind in the war.
The war that mankind had between one another was ended today. But, a new war
was started: mankind vs. robots.
 
Jungkook noticed the metal structure of the creature mimic that of a bat. These
things looked like animals, except they were even worse. Animals don't go by
anything other than their instincts; they don't hunt unless they're hungry.
But, these things... these monsters... they were hunting human beings with no
remorse. From what Jungkook learned when he was a child, robots didn't have the
capacity to feel human emotions; therefore, they ran based off of what they
were programmed to do. 
 
Jungkook noticed how the feet and claws of a bat were replaced with metal,
wires, and more metal. What terrified him even more was that these monsters
were crawling into the shelter, staining their alloys with human blood and
guts. Jungkook didn't know why he wasn't running.But these robots weren't
killing people... they were... they were abducting people! What for, though?
 
He watched how a single man was grabbed from behind by a robot shaped like a
scorpion. The scorpion's dagger-like stinger lifted the man off the ground like
he was a feather. Jungkook expected the scorpion bot to sting the man. What he
didn't expect was for the man's whole outer layer, his skin, to be ripped right
off of the man's body. The dead and raw body of the male was dropped
mercilessly onto the ground as the scorpion scrabble away to find another
unfortunate victim.
 
Jungkook's virgin eyes landed on the dead man's body. From all the crimson
blood seeping down from the man's muscles, organs, and bones, Jungkook felt
like throwing up. In addition to the horror, the man's guts were slowly falling
from its place, pooling around the dead man's body. What scared him the most
was when he looked at the man's face with no skin to cover it and give it life.
He saw the blood running down from where the guy's eyes should be. But, all he
witnessed were empty eye sockets.  
 
He didn't notice that someone had been trying to snap some sense into him,
until his mother began shaking him violently. 
 
"Jungkook! Jeon Jungkook! Listen to me, you need to run. Now," Jungkook's
mother was kneeling down in front of Jungkook with overly shaking hands. He
looked at his mother, seeing how her hair was a mess with strands of hair
flying all over the place; how her eyes were flooding tears and her nose was
running; how her hands trembled as she placed backpacks onto Taehyung's and
Jungkook's shoulders. She caressed her beloved son's face for the last time and
gave him a hug. "Jungkook-ah," she cried, her voice hoarse from all the worry,
"you need to go now. Taehyung will take care of you. It's not safe here
anymore." Tears washed over her cheeks like a tidal wave.
 
"But mom... I want to go with you! You're not going to leave me right? No! You
need to stay with me!" Jungkook stomped his foot on the ground, his eyes
already red and puffy from crying.
 
"No, Jungkook. You listen-" Jungkook was fidgeting in protest, "-you listen to
me now and you listen to me good. I want you to live, find a place to hide, and
stay hidden."
 
"But mom," Jungkook whined. He could taste his own tears and snot, at this
point. "You can't leave me, mommy."
 
"Jungkook-ah," her voice quivered as she wrapped a protective hand around her
son's head, giving him a hug, "you must live. For me." Mrs. Jeon rose from her
knees, taking Jungkook's and Taehyung's hands into her own. "Let's go," she
ordered, taking the two towards the surface. They made quick turns around
streets, backs against the walls of houses, and heads popping out from behind
buildings. 
 
When they thought that the coast was clear, something clicked behind them.
Taehyung turned around first, eyes widening when he saw the glowing red eyes of
a snake bot. The snake slither against the side of a building, its metal build
screeching against the brick. The snake hissed with its chain mail tongue, a
thick and dirty fabric fanning out to replicate the hood of a cobra.
 
"Oh my God," was all Taehyung could muster out before Mrs. Jeon ran in front of
the two boys.
 
"On the count of three, we run, alright?" she whispered underneath her breath.
Her arms were spread out as the three humans walked backwards in a slow manner.
They couldn't risk alarming the snake because if they did, one of them would
have to die.
 
Before anything else happened, a boom went off like a cannon. Rocks, dirt,
boulders, and debris were flying off in all different directions—much like a
firework display, but messier and in the most gruesome ways. People were flying
in the air and being caught in the sharp, segmented metal claws of robots. It
were as if these people were raining fish for sharks.
 
Taehyung and Jungkook tumbled to the floor together. Jungkook's mother picked
them up and began crying for them to start running. More bombs had stricken the
USNA, causing people to be thrown around from left and right like puppets with
careless puppeteers. With every explosion, dirt sprinkled in the air and smoke
clouded vision. People were coughing, dying, and praying for a miracle that
would never happen. 
 
Mrs. Jeon screamed in shock when a boulder had nearly crushed them out of
nowhere. Thankfully, they hadn't taken another two steps forward, before they
would have been crushed bone and guts. The grime had attached itself onto the
faces of the three, dirt mixing with tears to create a dirty solution of pain
and fear. Jungkook was crying, holding onto Taehyung's hand for dear life, as
his brave mother led the way.
 
They fell more than once from the impact of the bombs. Fire had made its camp
in the USNA, burning any living person who dared to touch it and run away. The
smoke was intoxicating; Jungkook couldn't breathe. He fell to the floor,
grabbing his chest while still holding Taehyung's hand.
 
"Jungkook!" Taehyung cried, kneeling beside his beloved younger. "We have to
get up! Stay with me!" 
 
"I-I can't brea-" he gasped for an oxygen that could only be replaced with
carbon dioxide. 
 
"Mrs. Jeon! Jungkook is-he's going to-to die! We need to save him!" Taehyung
hugged Jungkook's head in his lap, coughing because he, himself, could not
breathe properly.
 
Mrs. Jeon made her way over to the two and opened their backpacks, coughing
chronically. She pulled out two black oxygen filter masks. "Put this on!" She
passed a pair to Taehyung, and helped Jungkook wear his own. In wide relief,
she saw the clearing of fog diminish in her son's face mask. "Jungkook-ah, we
need to go now. Taehyung, you too."
 
They continued on their way towards the exit, until they reached a clearing. It
was all dust and smoke, leaving Mrs. Jeon in hesitancy. Another blast went off
and chaos erupted on a greater scale, leaving people screaming and running for
their lives. Jungkook's mother pushed her son and Taehyung forward, as they ran
towards the light, the exit. That was, until she let out a high-pitched shout.
Jungkook turned around and felt his heart stop in the matter of seconds. 
 
He took the moment to register what was going on before breaking in action. 
 
"Mom!" he cried, a hand chasing his mother, while she was in a tightening grip
of a robot. 
 
"No! Taehyung! Keep him away! Get him out of here, please!" Jungkook's mother
bawled, trying her best to twist herself out of the robot's grasp.
 
"No! Mom! Give me back my mother or I'll kill you! I swear to God give her back
to me! You can't take her away!" Jungkook struggled, thrashing around in
Taehyung's grip. The robot turned around and was about to strike them with a
pitiless spear.
 
The ground near them had exploded. The robot thrashed away from the impact,
heading towards the exit, entirely forgetting about Jungkook and Taehyung.
Jungkook coulf hear sirens going off in his ears, his vision blurring. 
 
Jungkook couldn't hear. All he could receive were sirens. Jungkook looked
around him and saw the fire, the terror, the loss. Everything processed in slow
motion, the dust clouding and suffocating people; the fires burning and
consuming people; the mechanical beasts taking people. Jungkook couldn't bear
it.
 
"Jungkook!" Mrs. Jeon shouted for the last time as she disappeared into the
smoke.
 
"Mommy!" Jungkook collapsed onto the floor, his tears running along the baby
fat of his face. 
 
"We need to keep moving, Jungkook," Taehyung sucked up his own feelings and
took the leading role that Mrs. Jeon wanted him to take. "On your feet,
Kookie."
 
Taehyung looked for any small crack or hole that they could fit in so that
nothing could get to them. As they stumbled through the debris, they watched
how death took its toll on the living. Dead. Dead. Dead. Everyone was dead,
abducted, or hiding. Blood was smeared across the surface of broken slabs of
stone or smothered in dirt. Dust and smoke wafted around the remains of the
USNA. All of the robots had fled with people in their hands; with lives in
their hands.
 
When Taehyung had found a secluded place between the cracked blocks of a fallen
building, he took off his backpack and shoved it in the hole. There, he and
Jungkook would stay, until the smoke cleared. Taehyung listened to the quiet
and muffled sobs of Jungkook, as he shook his head and laid down on the cold,
hard dirt. He spread his arms out, offering a place for Jungkook to cuddle up
in. Sure, the oxygen mask that they wore wasn't comfortable, but, at least, it
protected them from dying of carbon dioxide.
 
"I'm here, Kookie... I'm here."
 
"Tae-Taehyung," Jungkook hiccuped, "m-my m-mom. My mom is gone! I will never
see her again. She left-she left. I-I never even go-got to say g-goodbye."
 
"Just cry, Kookie. I-I will take responsibility for us from now on. Have trust
in hyung. We'll get past this over time."
 
"I just wish I would."
 
 
 
After a couple of days with sharing nothing but two cans of kidney beans,
Taehyung decided that it was a good time to get going. Judging from the bombs
and all, Taehyung guessed that this USNA would be a post-bomb session; he
guessed that the robots wouldn't come back anytime soon. So, the two scouted
for any supplies. Of course, Jungkook trailed behind Taehyung at all times,
following him like a lost puppy.
 
Jungkook held onto Taehyung's hand if Taehyung wasn't busy picking something
up, and if he was busy, then Jungkook would hold onto his shirt. Taehyung
noticed the drastic change in Jungkook's behavior. The younger was now quiet,
not that he wasn't the quiet one of the two, but Jungkook was deathly silent
now. He stuck to the minimum of talking and was highly alert of all his
surroundings. Even if Taehyung did try to brew up a conversation, Jungkook gave
little to no reaction which scared Taehyung. Then, he realized that Jungkook
had been cut deeply and grew a permanent scar—one that not even Taehyung could
remove. 
 
Taehyung picked up retractable dual swords, eyeing them a little before tossing
them into his pack. Walking around a little more, Taehyung had also found a gun
and dagger. These could come in handy. Taehyung and Jungkook marched around
dwellings to see if they could find any source of food that could be stored in
their inventory. A couple of cans and bottles of water were found, but the ones
that were burnt or covered in blood and dirt hadn't been touched.
                                        
When they decided that it was really time to breach the surface, they climbed
up the fallen piles of stone and steeps of dirt. When they had reached the
surface, they realized something; they realized that the reality that they
thought they lived in was not their reality at all. Taehyung swallowed the ball
of emotions in his throat. For Jungkook's sake, he believed.
 
The world beyond the USNA was barren, destroyed, lifeless, and, most of all, it
left a bitter taste in their mouths. They could see all the run-down towns,
cities, building, houses, and forests. Everything seemed demolished. What they
thought was hell in the USNA couldn't even compare to such monstrosity that
they witnessed now. There wasn't even enough sunlight to call it day.
Everything just seemed so gloomy and cold. With mentions towards the cold,
Taehyung and Jungkook were freezing nuggets out in the open. 
 
"Hyung," Jungkook whispered quietly from behind Taehyung. The elder panned his
vision around to face Jungkook. "I'll... I'll protect you," Jungkook sounded
weary at the first bit, "But I won't let anyone take you away from me, I
promise," Jungkook's voice now closing with such certainty and determination,
Taehyung believed it himself.
 
Together, they walked, cried, and hid for another eight years to come.
 
                                      +++
 
"Jungkook-ah!," Taehyung chirped, his voice light as usual. He set down his
bags as his eyes scanned the oxygen monitor. "Levels look safe enough and
setting looks good. Let's eat now. I'm starving."
 
"Hyung, I'm busy right now." Jungkook took a seat on a boulder, tightening the
screws of a crossbow arrow that they stumbled upon along the way of their
search for a new camp. 
 
"But eating is top priority."
 
"Eating comes second to defense, Taehyung."
 
"I never win, do I?"
 
Jungkook stopped what he was doing and rested the crossbow on his lap,
screwdriver still in his hands. He turned around to face Taehyung's form with a
defeated sigh. 
 
"Yay!" Taehyung clapped when Jungkook set down the crossbow and tools, joining
Taehyung for the first meal of the day.
 
"What are you talking about... 'i never win,'" Jungkook mocked while shoving
kidney beans up his mouth. "You always win," he grumbled, earning a giggle from
Taehyung on the side.
 
"Gossiping, aren't we?"
 
"Shut up."
 
"Who's the deal?"
 
"I said shut up."
 
"I only see me, so I must be the catch, shouldn't I?" Taehyung egged on,
letting out a laugh when Jungkook groaned.
 
"Can you just shut up and eat your food? You'll attract unwanted visitors."
 
"Aw, but I was just getting to the fun part!" Taehyung whined, faking a pout on
cue. 
 
"Fuck this shit." Jungkook took the last bite of his beans and grabbed
Taehyung's can, placing it on the ground before tackling the elder to the
ground. "I told you to shut up, do you know what shut up means?"
 
Taehyung bit his lip and shook his head slightly, aggravating Jungkook to the
bone. Now, Jungkook was the taller and more muscular one. His shoulders were
broader and he was physically fit, compared to Taehyung and their childhood.
Jungkook laid on top of Taehyung, fingers wrapped around Taehyung's wrists, but
not to the point of hurting the elder. Jungkook leaned his head in, his mouth
ending very close to Taehyung's ear.
 
"Sh," he whispered before pulling away and off of Taehyung. He returned to his
crossbow.
 
Taehyung's heart thumped at every single touch Jungkook placed on Taehyung's
body. Of course, their relationship had remained platonic for all of their
years together, but Taehyung always felt something for Jungkook, even when he
was a youngster. Taehyung was always a little more open to giving affection,
while Jungkook struggled with it. His only source of comfort was Taehyung, so
receiving affection wasn't a big deal.
 
Taehyung finished eating his beans before putting the oxygen mask on. Due to
the mass amount of smoke in the stratosphere, it was very difficult to breathe
and survive without oxygen filters. Luckily, Taehyung and Jungkook had filters
when they were little. They had come across an oxygen level monitor a while
back, using it to check for levels of oxygen. If the numbers read well,
Taehyung and Jungkook usually take off their masks only to eat. Other than
that, they keep the masks on to breathe. 
 
The sad part is, though, is that the two haven't really looked at each other's
faces properly ever since that day of invasion. Jungkook never wants to talk
about the collapse of UNSA and thankfully, Taehyung doesn't press; however,
just because Jungkook doesn't want to talk about things with Taehyung, it
doesn't mean that he still doesn't think about past events that have occurred
and fucked his life up—not that his life wasn't as fucked before.
 
Jungkook concludes that keeping quiet is the best in terms of surviving.
Keeping quiet is also good for not mentioning emotions. He is a messy ball of
tangled limbs, agony, and emotions which is probably why touching on subjects
like his mother was never a strong topic of his to discuss; Taehyung knows
that.
 
"So, are we just going to sit here all day?" Taehyung questions, patting a beat
on his thighs as if they were drums.
 
"You can rest, Tae."
 
"And you'll be doing...?"
 
"Fixing the weapons."
 
"Oh, alright. Just wake me up if you need anything."
 
Jungkook paused in the midst of his craftsmanship, turning around to look at
Taehyung. He meant for his eyes to simply steal a glance, but his eyes were
greedy. Jungkook watched how Taehyung hummed in exhaustion, settling himself
into the soft blankets of his sleeping bag. Jungkook's eyes dragged over to the
limp strands of hair popping from beneath the face mask's straps. 
 
Jungkook wanted nothing more than to put down his crossbow and snuggle with
Taehyung, but he realized that he was too late for that. The elder had already
fallen asleep, and he was supposed to keep watch. Every day, Jungkook felt bad
for Taehyung, being that the elder always exerted so much work onto his
shoulders—a lot more work that he could bear, just so that these two lone
travelers could get by.
 
Running, hiding, worrying... Jungkook was far past ready to give these feelings
up.
 
 
 
"Jungkook," Taehyung called in a hushed tone. "Get up."
 
"What?" Jungkook awoke, clearly confused about the whole situation.
 
"Something's here."
 
Oh shit, Jungkook panicked. He bounced up and quickly helped Taehyung pack up
camp. They hurdled over the cluttered pile of broken bricks and concrete.
Taehyung ushered them to hide underneath a fallen building wall. The city in
which they had camped at was the remains of a post-bombing setting. Ash was
spread out like an eagle, but they had oxygen masks on. What was there to worry
about? 
 
Everything.
 
Jungkook and Taehyung were silent until they heard the sound of feet
shuffling—multiple feet shuffling.
 
"Do you... do you think it's safe here, boss?" 
 
These were voices that they were hearing; people with voices. Jungkook
immediately tried to crawl out from under the block, but was held back by
Taehyung.
 
"I think it's fine here. Kind of gloomy for my taste, but let's roll with it."
 
"Should we walk a little more down?"
 
Jungkook silently tried to pry Taehyung off of him, ignoring the elder boy's
protests by action. He was close to being free, until he heard something land
on top of the wall they were hiding under. Clicking, something was clicking...
Taehyung grabbed Jungkook's arm and shimmied them backwards to keep away from
the entrance of the fallen wall. The wall had diagonally fallen, so they were
able to hide beneath the space. It was a tight fit, but it was practical.
 
The hairs on the back of Jungkook's neck stood up when he heard the whirring
sound of the monster above them. Taehyung and Jungkook both knew what was there
and what was coming for the surviving pack. Jungkook sighed in relief when the
robot had moved from its spot to another one. Taehyung's eyes followed the legs
of the robot and counted them. He held up eight fingers and looked to Jungkook
with worried eyes.
 
"Boss, did you hear that? Did anyone hear that?"
 
"Hear what?"
 
"Yeah... I think I hear it too."
 
"What's that noise?"
 
"I can hear something... it sounds like..." a survivor backed up, eyes
searching for the creator of the sound, "...it sounds like a machine... like
a... robot."
 
The person felt heat behind him. He turned around and came face to face with a
shadow. Then, glowing red eyes. The minute he tried to shout, the robot had
swept him up with one claw. The other survivors ran in terror, trying their
best to stay away from the spider's line of sight. They all failed. 
 
The moment Jungkook saw that guy get picked up, he turned his head and buried
his face into Taehyung chest. Taehyung watched the whole scene play out in like
a horror movie, except that this wasn't a movie—this was real life. He saw a
woman get grabbed off the floor, as two claws held onto her body. One claw held
onto her feet, while the other claw held onto her head, ripping the skin right
off of her body in one go. She didn't even get to scream in pain before it was
over.
 
Taehyung winced and closed his eyes, knowing this fear all to well. But, he was
more worried about Jungkook's state of mind. He draped his leg over Jungkook's
side in attempt to shelter him from everything. Taehyung looked back at the
scene and noticed how dead skinless bodies were left on the ground. The gore
had left a filthy and sickening taste in Taehyung's mouth. He knew that if they
didn't get out of there soon enough, it'd start smelling. Badly.
 
"We need to go now."
 
The hardest part about leaving or moving on was knowing when to do so. Every
time they packed their bags, Taehyung always worried that it would be the wrong
time to leave. Is there another robot out here? Should they leave now? What if
they're coming out of hiding too soon? What would happen? Questions like these
made Taehyung tired and anxious. 
 
But, he learned the patterns and was able to weave through them like a champ.
Taehyung crawled out first, head spinning around to make sure that their path
was cleared. He gave Jungkook a reassuring nod, taking the younger boy's hand
in his. They ran together; they ran as far away as they could get within a
day's time so that they, themselves, would not have the same fate as the
survivors they saw earlier.
 
 
 
"Are you okay, Kookie?" Taehyung leaned into Jungkook's shoulder.
 
"I'm fine."
 
"Don't... don't lie to yourself please. Just tell me if something's wrong."
 
"I said I'm fine."
 
"Jungkook-"
 
"I'm fucking okay, okay? You don't have to fucking worry like that!" Jungkook
stood up, stomping a few feet away with his arms crossed. He felt the blood
rushing to his head because for once, he was hotter than the cold. This was the
first he had lost his cool, though; it was also the first time that he had
yelled at Taehyung like that. While realizing this, Jungkook began to feel
guilty. He was about to turn around, until he felt warm arms wrap around his
torso from behind.
 
I'm sorry, he thought.
 
"Jungkook-ah," Taehyung cooed soothingly, while resting his chin on Jungkook's
shoulder, "you know I'm here for you, right? Always have, always will."
 
Jungkook was silent.
 
"I don't want you to ruin yourself by bottling things up. It's like taking an
overdose of Vicodin. Jungkook-ah, my sweet, sweet, Jungkook," Taehyung pecked
the curve of Jungkook's neck.
 
Jungkook froze.
 
"I only want to protect you and support you, you know that right?"
 
Jungkook remained still.
 
"Right?"
 
"Hyung," the younger let out with a depressed sigh, "I'm sorry." He turned
around and gave Taehyung a hug, burrowing his face in the crook of Taehyung's
neck. He liked it like this. Always.
 
"Don't be sorry, baby."
 
Baby, Jungkook remembered. It's been a while since he's called me baby, he
chuckles a little to himself at this.
 
"Hyung, I'm just-I'm just really scared."
 
"I know. I am too."
 
"I don't know what to do anymore and everyday is just starting to become like-
like that day."
 
"As long as we have each other, you won't have to be alone, Kookie."
 
"I just want to live at peace, Taehyung... at peace, in peace, with peace.
These feelings of fear, loneliness, hunger, and everything else is becoming all
too tiring on my part. I don't want to burden you anymore, Tae, I really don't.
I want to be the strong one between the two of us, but it's just so hard."
 
"Jungkook-ah," Taehyung hesitated, unsure if he should continue with this
topic, "your mother... told me to take care of you."
 
Jungkook's eyes looked up to meet Taehyung's bright and shimmering ones. 
 
"Aren't I doing a good job at it?"
 
"Yeah... I guess..."
 
"What? Am I not good enough for you? Is that the case?" Taehyung craned his
head away, throwing an offended hand to his heart.
 
"No," Jungkook chuckled. He realized that Taehyung was the only one who could
be as bright as he was in the pits of darkness. "You're more than good enough
for me."
 
"I'm glad to see that you acknowledge my degree."
 
"Shut up, you cocky bastard."
 
                                      +++
 
In the year 2116, Jungkook was 6. 
 
"Mom, there's people with guns outside of our house."
 
Mrs. Jeon turned away from the kitchen sink and walked over to the window,
closing the curtain when a guard had looked at her. A loud knock was heard,
followed by the demanding tone of soldiers outside. Mrs. Jeon smiled softly at
her child, telling him to stay quiet and in his room, while she talked to the
soldiers. Jungkook nodded and obeyed her wishes. He ran to his room and
immediately smothered his face against the window to get a better view of the
scene downstairs. 
 
"Jeon JaeMyung, you are ordered to serve as a fellow combatant for the United
States military. South Korea will be deploying troops to American military
bases for the war." 
 
"My... my husband needs to go into war?"
 
"He is the oldest male of your household, am I correct, ma'am?"
 
"Y-yes... but he has a child! A child he needs to watch grow."
 
"That will be determined if he survives the war, madame. Now where is Jeon
JaeMyung?"
 
Mrs. Jeon was about to argue, but her husband had already arrived behind her. 
 
"KyungHee-ya," JaeMyung shook his head at her and looked towards the general
that arrived at their dwelling. "Is this about the South Korean distribution of
troops to the US?"
 
"You can't take him-please!" KyungHee interrupted with a wail. Tears were
falling from her eyes and her hands shook in fear; in fear that her husband
would go away; in fear that her husband would not return.
 
"Shut up, you crazy woman," the general barked.
 
"I will serve."
 
"Glad to see that you have made this easy."
 
"No! Honey, you can't! You can't leave our son and I alone," she shook her head
vigorously in shock and refusal. Her protests were heard by all in the vicinity
of the Jeon's dwelling. 
 
"Mom, what do you mean that dad is going to go? Are we moving?" Jungkook came
from behind his mother and father, standing at the door with a pure look of
confusion. 
 
"Get him back inside of the house now," JaeMyung ordered.
 
"No. Don't you think our son deserves to know?" KyungHee retaliated with poison
in her tone.
 
"Look, as sweet as your family may be, we need to go with Jeon JaeMyung in our
hands, alright?" the general smiled, waving a hand to signal other guards to
grab JaeMyung away.
 
"No! You can't take him!" KyungHee held onto her husband's arm, attempting to
pull him back.
 
"Get the bitch off of him."
 
One of the guards had held KyungHee back, while she squirmed around in his
grip. 
 
"Jungkook! Go bring back your father! Go!"
 
Jungkook ran to his father, pulling on the clothing that his dad was wearing.
 
"Dad, don't go."
 
JaeMyung looked back at his son and requested a moment with his son. The guards
complied, releasing JaeMyung for a moment before pulling Jungkook into a
heartwarming embrace. 
 
"Son, my beautiful, smart, and handsome son," he stroked Jungkook's cheek with
his thumb. KyungHee sobbed in the background. "You need to take care of your
mother when I'm gone, okay?"
 
"Where is dad going?"
 
"Far, far, far away."
 
"Where? I want to go too!"
 
"No, you need to stay here with your mother."
 
"Why can't I go? I want to be with mom and dad!"
 
"Jungkook-ah, you are too little to understand this now, but dad has to make a
sacrifice."
 
"Are you going to fight with other people?"
 
"Mm. I am going to fight to make sure to protect you and your mother."
 
"No!" Jungkook shouted. "You can't go then! You need to stay with us! You can't
leave us and think that we'll be okay! Fighting is bad!"
 
"Jungkook-ah-"
 
"You think that we'll be okay? We're stuck down here! Mom will cry everyday
because you will be gone! Who am I going to learn how to play baseball from?"
 
"Dad will come back to teach you."
 
"You liar!" Jungkook released a shout full of anger and hatred.
 
JaeMyung went quiet.
 
"Most people who go to fight die! You're going to die just like all of them!" 
 
People were surprised by how much venom one little boy could spit out. Even the
general himself stood silent.
 
"Don't make promises that you can't keep! Just don't go at all!"
 
"Jungkook-ah, I will promise you. Look, I'm promising you that I will return. I
will return to make your mother happy, and I will return to be your father."
 
Jungkook wiped the tears out of his face with a fist feeling angry and betrayed
by his own father. But, his father's promise sounded so believable. Well,
believable to a 6-year-old child.
 
"I don't want you to go, dad," Jungkook spoke hoarsely, "please stay."
 
"You know that I can't do that."
 
"You promise that you'll come back?"
 
"I promise."
 
With no warning, JaeMyung was taken away in the arms of other guards. JaeMyung
looked back simultaneously to see his wife and child. KyungHee had fallen to
the ground, sobbing because she wanted to believe in her husband's pseudo-
promise as much as her own son did. Jungkook watched his father's back with dry
tears stains upon his soft, pale cheeks.
 
Jungkook's mother had lapsed into a state of depression. With countless
attempts of bringing her back to liveliness, he soon gave up too. After a year
had passed, surviving troops were allowed to revisit their families. Jungkook
hates empty promises, but he hates being alone even more. Yet, here he is
again: cold, scared, hungry, and alone in this war.
 
Until, he met Taehyung, a happy-go-lucky child of the sun. 
 
                                      +++
 
"To be honest, I'm really tired of eating beans all day," Taehyung confesses.
 
"That's nice to know."
 
"You know what? Aren't you the bluntest motherfucker in the whole entire
world?"
 
"Darn right I am."
 
"Fuck you."
 
"I thought our relationship was purely platonic, Tae."
 
"You're a son of Satan, I swear to God."
 
"I am no robot child."
 
"Or are you?"
 
Jungkook gave Taehyung a look that read: "shut the fuck up or I'll hit you" and
"you're a fucking whore."
 
"Fine, fine! Apologies, madame," Taehyung bowed his head.
 
"So I'm a madame now?"
 
"Yes...?"
 
"Well, then what does that make you?" Jungkook crossed his arms and stared at
Taehyung with a challenging smirk on his face. This should be interesting. 
 
"It makes me Taehyung."
 
"Oh really? Let me get this straight: you have the right to call me whatever,
but I don't have the right?"
 
"Yes, exactly."
 
"Look who's the motherfucker now."
 
"It's still you, Kook."
 
"Taehyung, one of these days, I might just choke you to death."
 
"We both know that if you do that, you're screwed."
 
Taehyung was right. After all, Taehyung was the only reason why Jungkook had
managed to keep his sanity and not get captured by robots.
 
"I give up on you."
 
"Hm," Taehyung smiled smugly while adjusting the shoulder strap of his bag.
"This library should have to do."
 
The building looked pretty stable, being that most of its structure still
remained. A couple of corners were corroding, but that wasn't even comparable
to the cities that Jungkook and Taehyung have been to. Jungkook followed
Taehyung, making sure that their back was okay. The scariest part of moving was
checking the perimeter because they didn't know what they'd run into.
 
Jungkook clenched onto his dual swords for dear life, while Taehyung walked
carefully with gun in hand. They stood at the middle of the library, unsure
about going up the stairs to check the second story. Footsteps were heard
running along the second story. Jungkook and Taehyung froze in their spots,
praying that today wasn't their last day. They expected robots, not people.
 
"Look what we have here," the sound of a girl's voice caused relief for
Jungkook's soul. 
 
"W-who are you?" Taehyung pointed his gun in the direction of that voice.
 
They heard a thud. 
 
"Lights, Jane, we got friends," the same voice ordered. When the lights turned
on, the two boys saw a slim, yet toned body in front of them. They concluded
that she had a pretty face. "So, where are you two from?"
 
"Who are you?" Jungkook took a step before Taehyung, still unsure about these
people.
 
"Relax, boy," the girl sighed, running a hand through her damp hair, "I'm
Halla. We're just trying to survive like the both of you. Thankfully, we found
this," she spread her arms and gestured to the whole library, "and made it our
camp. Now your turn."
 
"I'm Taehyung," Taehyung started, smiling in relief that there were people,
actual people.
 
"Nice to meet you, Taehyung. Is your friend going to introduce himself?"
 
Taehyung nudged Jungkook with his elbow.
 
"Jungkook."
 
"A man with little words, I see how it is. Nice." Halla nodded her head in
approval.
 
"I'd like you to meet my fellow mates as well. That's Jane over there with the
lights, she's the youngest. That's Yuna by the staircase, Minju is hanging from
the chandelier, Baekhyun is standing next to Yujin over there," Halla pointed
to the girl and boy standing at a reading lounge, "and that's Sehun with the
blonde hair. The raven is Kyungsoo, but he doesn't speak much."
 
"Seems like you guys have started your own civilization!" Taehyung exclaimed,
already warming up to the atmosphere. Jungkook stayed quiet and decided that
trusting these people wasn't a great idea... yet.
 
"Not a civilization, but more like a base camp. Anyway, you want in or not?"
Halla waited with a hand on her hip.
 
"This should be interesting," Yuna shrugged.
 
Taehyung looked to Jungkook for an idea, but the younger was looking at the
ground. Knowing that he was probably going to be the one that would be making a
decision, Taehyung answered for the two.
 
"Yeah, we're in."
 
"Sweet," Halla walked off as the other survivors went to go meet the newcomers.
 
"Yay! New people!" Minju chirped, hopping off the chandelier. 
 
The others walked over to get to know the two newcomers. Well, get to know
Taehyung because Jungkook wasn't going to say anything. Even Kyungsoo decided
that Taehyung was a chill kid. Jungkook, he awkwardly stood behind the small
crowd, feeling a slight pang in his heart. He felt jealous of these people.
They were getting one thing that Jungkook did not: Taehyung's attention.
 
 
 
"So, Taehyung, how old are you?" Jane asked.
 
"20."
 
"Wow, you're old."
 
"Thank you!"
 
Everyone laughed at Taehyung's reaction to Jane's comment, creating a friendly
environment. Jungkook sat on the staircase to stay away from all the loud
chattering. 
 
"You don't talk much, do you?"
 
Jungkook turned his head around to see Kyungsoo seat himself on a step higher
than Jungkook.
 
"It's okay, I get it. They can be obnoxious, right? The talking..." Kyungsoo
trailed off, while Jungkook just listened, "but it's a good chattering. It
makes me feel... alive. Like I know that there are others with me and that I'm
not alone in this." 
 
"For such a quiet guy, you sure have a lot to say," Jungkook commented with a
chortle at the end.
 
"That might be true. In short, I'm just thankful for these guys... or at least
what's left of them."
 
This sparked Jungkook's curiosity.
 
"What do you mean?"
 
"Well, there were more of us. We all went to school together, you know? And
then, our USNA got raided by robots and we managed to group together and
escape. We actually had a group leader, but he and some of the others got
caught."
 
"Oh," was all Jungkook managed to say. Same shit as us, isn't it? He ridiculed
this "fate."
 
"What about you?"
 
"Our USNA got raided as well, actually. Taehyung and I have been running and
hiding for 8 years."
 
"Damn, that's a long while. Was it just you two?"
 
Jungkook hummed.
 
"Look at them," Kyungsoo pointed at the group. "Seems like Halla's warming up
to Taehyung already."
 
"What do you mean?" Jungkook furrowed his eyebrows and noticed that Halla and
Taehyung were sitting next to each other, laughing at something together.
 
"Halla's boyfriend was the group leader. After his death, she got all cold and
distant with everyone. She usually doesn't smile as much as she is right now.
And, when it's meal time, she doesn't eat together with us."
 
"Oh."
 
"Yeah, well, I'm going to get some shut eye, kid. Don't worry, you're safe here
for the most part."
 
Jungkook nodded his head and looked back at Halla and Taehyung. Jungkook felt
that same jealous pang in his heart. I have no right to be jealous... he's not
mine and I'm not his... plus, there's finally a girl that he can properly be
with. We haven't seen a girl ever since that day. Jungkook tried his best to
push these feelings of hurt and jealousy, but his heart was like a magnet,
attracting all the right feelings to make him sour on the inside. 
 
Jungkook decided that instead of watching the social bee do his thing, he
wanted to get some sleep as well. 
 
 
 
"Goodnight to you too, Minju, Baekhyun, Halla," Taehyung waved at the three
before stepping into his assigned sleeping quarters. He and Jungkook had gotten
the spare room that was in the middle of the line of everyone else's rooms.
Each room was supposed to be a private study, but the inhabitants of the
library decked it out to become sleeping quarters. 
 
Taehyung nudged Jungkook's shoulder with his foot, "Jungkook, are you
sleeping?"
 
When Jungkook didn't answer, Taehyung knew that the younger was awake.
 
"Don't pretend, now."
 
Still no answer.
 
"Is something wrong?"
 
"No, just go to sleep."
 
Taehyung could catch the hint of irritation dripping from Jungkook's tone.
 
"Are you sure?"
 
"Tae, I'm tired, okay? Can you not bug me?"
 
Taehyung frowned and settled into his sleeping bag. He wrapped his arms around
Jungkook's torso, but was shoved away lightly. 
 
Jungkook caught his own actions and realized that he must have hurt Taehyung's
feelings by the heavy action. "N-not-not tonight. I'm really exhausted
emotionally and mentally, okay?"
 
Taehyung nodded to himself in understanding because why would Jungkook refuse a
hug? Still, even if Jungkook was troubled, he came to Taehyung for comfort. The
younger's odd behavior hurt Taehyung and confused him, but Taehyung decided not
to pry because Jungkook had already seemed like he was on his last straw. 
 
While Taehyung managed to fall asleep, Jungkook couldn't; he just couldn't
because he had no warmth, no embrace, no Taehyung. And, it was all because of
his stupid jealousy.
 
 
 
"Rise and shine, sleeping beauties!" Sehun barged into Jungkook and Taehyung's
dorm.
 
"What? What happened?" Taehyung jolted up into a sitting position. Jungkook
rolled his eyes and snorted.
 
"We're going out to find some supplies, you guys coming?" Sehun leaned against
the door frame with crossed arms.
 
"How successful are you guys at finding supplies?" Jungkook asked.
 
"We've never came home empty-handed, I'll tell you that much."
 
"I'm in," Taehyung said in a matter-of-factly. 
 
"Taehyung, you can't be serious-"
 
"It'll be okay, Jungkook. It's not just us anymore, remember? We Halla, Jane,
Yujin, and the other now."
 
Halla, Jungkook thought. So she's the first thing that comes to mind now?
 
"Jungkook, come on-"
 
"Sehun, who's staying?" Jungkook ignored Taehyung. The elder frowned at that,
feeling a little hurt from Jungkook's rude abruptness. 
 
"Kyungsoo, Minju, and Jane. But they always stay because they're pussys."
 
"I'm staying," Jungkook concluded, falling back under the covers.
 
"Alright, we'll call you out when we're ready to go, Tae." Sehun closed the
door behind him, leaving Taehyung and Jungkook alone.
 
"What the fuck is your problem, Jungkook?" Taehyung slapped the younger's
shoulder. 
 
"What?" Jungkook turned around to face the elder. "What did I do?"
 
"You're being so..."
 
"So what?"
 
"Such an asshole to me."
 
"I am? I thought I was the bluntest motherfucker in the whole entire world."
 
"But when you're blunt, you're not mean."
 
Jungkook felt a gap in his heart when Taehyung called him mean. Was I really
too much?
 
"Jungkook, is something going on that I don't know about?" Taehyung inched
closer to the younger, resting a soft hand on his waist. Jungkook sucked in a
breathe from the contact. "I don't like seeing your annoyed or upset, you know
that, Kookie. It makes me feel sad and hurt."
 
Jungkook really didn't want to hurt Taehyung. He just got caught up in his own
feelings, making the elder hurt because he felt hurt; because he knew that
Taehyung was no longer his. What the fuck am I thinking? Taehyung was never
mine to begin with. The look on Taehyung's face made Jungkook want to cry from
being so rude and mean to the elder for no valid reason. He realized that he'd
have to swallow his own feels for Taehyung's happiness. If it meant that
Jungkook was going to suffer internally for Taehyung's smiles and affections,
he was going to have to suck it up. But, was he ready for that?
 
But, with Taehyung being so happy with someone other than him, he really didn't
want affection from the elder. At the same time, he craved for the elder's
touches and words of encouragement. With all these thoughts running through his
head, Jungkook felt salty, angry even. He thought about telling Taehyung to
just get the fuck out of his sight, but decided against it because making
Taehyung sad was a sin. Jungkook wasn't ready to become a sinner. Correction:
he did not want to become a sinner. Also, Taehyung has sacrificed so many
things for Jungkook's cause. Why couldn't he do the same for Taehyung? Can he
do so just this once? So, Jungkook took the harder—more painful route.
 
"I'm fine, Taehyung. I'm still spooked from that bot we ran into," Jungkook
stroked Taehyung's cheek with a reassuring hand and felt Taehyung lean into the
touch.No, you're not supposed to do that.
 
"Kookie, it's okay. That bot is gone now."
 
"I know."
 
When Taehyung heard his name being called from downstairs, he responded with a
quick shout back. 
 
"I'll see you when we get back, Kookie."
 
Taehyung placed a goodbye kiss to Jungkook's forehead before grabbing his coat
and heading out the door. Jungkook sighed and closed his eyes when he heard the
conversation starting between a certain girl and guy. 
 
Why am I so selfish? Jungkook wondered. 
 
 
 
"Jungkook, Kyungsoo, you want to play a game of cards?"
 
Minju and Jane are already sitting at the pool table with a stack of cards in
Minju's hands. Kyungsoo puts his book down and takes off his glasses, deciding
that playing cards would be a good pass time. Jungkook is at a loss of what to
do, so he follows Kyungsoo and stands at the pool table awkwardly. People were
never his forte.
 
"We'll play speed, how does that sound?" 
 
"How do you play speed?" Jungkook asked.
 
Jane looked at Jungkook with wide eyes and an open mouth. To help her out,
Minju pushed her chin up.
 
Minju smiled playfully. "Just watch and learn, kid."
 
Jungkook snorted and made himself comfortable on a chair beside Kyungsoo. He
observed how they played the car game, shaking his head when Minju began losing
to Kyungsoo. She began to yelp, drawing cards to fill her deck. Jane began to
tease her for have a bad deck, but Minju ignored her as Kyungsoo zoomed through
his pile. 
 
"Speed," he stated quietly.
 
"Ah..." Minju slammed the table with her hands in frustration. "Do Kyungsoo, we
will go again after these two, got it?"
 
"Newbie, you're against me," Jane winked while shuffling the deck. 
 
"Aren't you younger than me?" Jungkook raised a brow.
 
"Ya! I was here first! So technically, I'm your sunbae!"
 
"The term sunbae applies to professional roles. Our relationship is not
professional."
 
"Ah! Forget it!" Jane angrily distributed the cards. "Just watch! I'll beat you
at Speed."
 
"Whatever, kid."
 
"I'm not a kid!"
 
"Neither am I."
 
They played. Unfortunately, the game ended in approximately two minutes. 
 
"Speed."
 
"How did you-you've never even-"
 
"Guess the wheels in my head turn faster than yours, kid," Jungkook snickered
as he rose from his seat.
 
And, most definitely, the wheels in Jeon Jungkook's head were turning at an
incredibly fast speed. Even Jungkook was shocked with his performance. He never
knew that he was capable of thinking on his feet. Sure, he had his intuition,
but he had always doubted it; he had always been so unconfident in his
abilities. After all, he had always relied on Taehyung for everything because
he was too scared to pick up anything for himself. 
 
And, winning felt good. This small victory might've been seen as something
small and unimportant, but this was Jungkook's all. He had used his own mind
for once and it felt good, real good. This time, he didn't need Taehyung to
help him or initiate anything for him. Finding a sense of independence made
Jungkook feel unstoppable; unbreakable.
 
Jungkook looked at Minju and began to chuckle when she began to whine to Jane,
saying that Kyungsoo was cheating. 
 
"Kid, you're up with Kyungsoo," Jane sighed, patting Minju on the back harshly
because she was annoying the fuck out of her.
 
"Still older than you," Jungkook snickered when Jane let out a complaint about
how he kept talking back to her. "So, hyung, I guess I'm playing you now." He
looked up at Kyungsoo with challenging eyes.
 
"I guess you are," Kyungsoo dealt the cards like how they were supposed to. Out
of all the group members—including the ones who were scouting—Kyungsoo was the
best at Speed. 
 
Jungkook didn't say anything more when they played. Minju had eventually
stopped crying, while she and Jane watched the two card players intently. The
game lasted for about four minutes, until the winner claimed their victory.
 
"Speed," Jungkook licked his lips before laying his last card on the middle
deck. He then leaned back into his chair, staring at an embarrassed Kyungsoo.
"That was fun, hyung."
 
"Yeah..." Kyungsoo tilted his head in pure confusion, "how did you get that so
fast? This is only your second time playing..."
 
"That's what I thought!" Jane interrupted. 
 
"The wheels in my head are turning," Jungkook shrugged his shoulders. 
 
"Wow... he really did it when I said to watch and learn. Amazing," Minju nodded
her head in approval.
 
"I'm hungry," Jane stated as if someone should tend to her hunger. 
 
"Alright, alright, I'll feed you, little maknae."
 
"Why does everyone treat me like this?!" Jane followed Minju from behind,
throwing her hands up in the air to add emphasis.
 
Jungkook shook his head at the maknae and simpered. Kyungsoo rose his brows at
Jungkook, as he stuffed the cards back into its their case.
 
"Something amusing?"
 
"No, she's just being stupid in a funny way."
 
Kyungsoo nodded his head, "that's how maknaes are always like."
 
"Go figure."
 
"You're participating a lot more today."
 
Jungkook went silent, realizing that he was talking a lot more than he should
have.
 
"Don't feel wronged about it, though. It's an improvement, actually." It was
like Kyungsoo could read him. "If you try to hide behind what your mind is
telling you to do than what you really want to do, then I've got no answers for
you."
 
Kyungsoo was right. Jungkook wanted to laugh, smile, and talk like Taehyung
does so naturally. But, he just couldn't bring himself to do it. 
 
"Thanks for your observation."
 
"Anytime." 
 
Minju and Jane had entered the room with something other than a can of beans;
it was a can of fruit. How lovely. The four chattered amongst themselves with
Minju and Jane being the main discussion leaders. Jungkook watched how these
people he barely even knew had such a strong bond with one another. He was
almost envious of their relationship, but he admired their relationships too
much to be envious. 
 
"We're back!" an influx invaded the library with noise.
 
Jungkook's eyes lazily faced the returning members. He was just having a nice
discussion with Jane about different cuisines they'd like to try. Then, his
whole desire for conversation was wrapped up into a tight ball of nothingness
thrown into a trashcan. He saw how Halla practically hung from Taehyung's
arms. And, he let her. Jungkook scoffed at the sight, deciding against standing
up from his seat. 
 
Taehyung smiled brightly, displaying his box-smile to everyone else. He waved
his hand over to the pool table, hopefully getting Jungkook's attention, but
Jungkook was busy talking to Jane. He and Halla got along pretty well,
especially during the time they had to scout for goods. Overall, he liked her.
 
"Jungkook-ah! We found packets of ramen!" Taehyung held up a bag of ramen
packages. Jungkook gave the lamest reaction ever. That motherfucker simply
raised his brows and pursed lips with a short nod. A nod! Taehyung ranted. "Ya!
You little brat, aren't you thankful?"
 
Jungkook snorted, "you're not the only one who went out, were you?"
 
Taehyung had never heard anything this disrespectful come from Jungkook's
mouth. Not believing the current situation, Taehyung stared at Jungkook with
dull eyes. Halla had pulled him away from the pool table, leaving Jane and
Jungkook alone. Jungkook saw the hurt in his hyung's eyes. And, he actually
felt a little good about it. For a moment, Jungkook thought that Taehyung was
being the ridiculous one. How dare he bring her in front of Jungkook. How can
he be with another person in front of Jungkook when they shared such a past
together. 
 
The whole interaction sickened Jungkook's stomach; he really felt like he could
throw up. Inside, Jungkook felt sick because he felt good about hurting
Taehyung when Taehyung had hurt him. Good for you. Stay there. With her,
Jungkook thought sourly, no. Leave her. Stay with me. With me, hyung.
 
"Jungkook, are you okay? You're really pale now..." Jane scooted backwards in
her seat. "Look, if you're going to vomit, at least warn me, okay?!"
 
"I'm fine," Jungkook's eyes shot over to Taehyung's direction, as he watched
the elder enjoy himself in the company of others and Halla.
 
"Are you... are you sure?"
 
"Jane, do you want to walk around with me?"
 
"What?"
 
"Walk with me."
 
"O-okay?"
 
Jungkook had stood up from his seat, walking around the pool table to pull Jane
along with him. When Minju and Yujin gave Jane a questioning look, she
shrugged. Taehyung gulped when he heard the door slam close. The moment
Jungkook stepped outside with Jane, he let go of her hand. 
 
"I'm sorry if I was rough."
 
"It's okay... is something wrong?" 
 
"No... it's just-"
 
"Just what?"
 
"Don't ask too many questions, okay?"
 
"O-okay..."
 
They walked in what felt like silence. Jungkook's mind was running wild. He
didn't know what came over him, but he decided to just leave the library
because it was all too much. And, it was even nighttime. What was he thinking?
Was he trying to risk both he and Jane's lives? Jungkook felt Jane shiver from
behind him, footsteps becoming softer and softer from behind him.
 
"Kid... let's turn around, we're drifting too far off away from the
settlement," Jane suggested. It was true, though; they were walking too far off
than they should have been.
 
Jungkook sighed. Out of all the reckless things he could have done in his life,
kissing Jane was the most reckless. He had swooped around, pulling her in and
attaching their lips together. Of course, he felt nothing when he kissed her,
but knowing that it was someone other than Taehyung made him think that he was
happy. He was not happy.
 
Jane's eyes widened when she saw something move from behind them, "Jungkook!
Behind-"
 
Everything happened in seconds. 
 
"Jungkook!" Taehyung screamed from a distance away. He began running to the
scene, expecting to see Jungkook's dead body.
 
Almost by instinct, Jungkook clicks his handle and cuts the stinger off of the
scorpion bot's tail, just in time before they were grub. He swiftly turned
around on his heel, pushing Jane back in a defensive position. Taehyung had
followed the two from afar, worried that something would have gone wrong.
Inside the settlement, the others soon come out to see what the commotion was
all about. 
 
The scorpion bot was pissed, attempting to jab at Jungkook with one of its
claws. Jungkook managed to doge the claw, slicing it clean off the scorpion's
joints. The bot hissed in anger, now aiming at Jungkook with two more claws.
Jungkook took out his second sword, spinning both swords around in his hands.
When the bot struck, its claws had fallen off like a piece of meat from a
tender steak. A steak in which Jungkook butchered. 
 
The robot thrashed around, making its point clear that it was angry, but
Jungkook took this moment to annihilate. He jumped onto the remains of the
bot's tail, stabbing his swords up the scorpion's back to make his way up to
the scorpion's head. Right when the scorpion was about to buck him off,
Jungkook jumped and plunged his dual swords into the bot's mechanical eye.
 
The bot went down, hitting the ground with a clank. The glowing redness that
used to be faded into blackness. Although the bot was done and over with,
Jungkook continued stabbing the bot's eyes with a screaming trailing each stab.
Jane stood behind him in complete shock, placing a hand on Jungkook shoulder to
let him know that he wasn't alone.
 
"It's dead... Jungkook. It's done. You did it."
 
Jungkook turned around, letting go of the sword's handles before hugging Jane's
legs. Everyone else who watched the scene rushed over to help Jane and the
mentally unstable Jungkook; everyone, except Taehyung. Taehyung remained
standing at his place in shock. One, Jungkook just killed a bot, and two,
Jungkook was seeking comfort from someone other than Taehyung, himself.
 
 
 
Jungkook opened his eyes to see Jane staring at him intensely. She sighed in
relief when Jungkook had showed signs of consciousness. Jungkook felt like a
nuclear warhead himself. His eyes weren't red anymore, but that didn't mean
that his vision was fine. Actually, he could only make out shapes for the time
being.
 
"You're awake."
 
"Guess I am."
 
Jane smiled smugly and Jungkook, handing him a bottle of water. 
 
"Drink."
 
Jungkook gulped down his water as if he had been deprived of it for days.
 
"Thanks."
 
"No worries, you went kind of crazy back there."
 
"How long have I... you know... been out?"
 
"Three days."
 
Jungkook groaned and rubbed his head in his hands. He didn't expect to be this
much of a burden.
 
"Jane... look... about that night..."
 
"Don't worry about it," she waved it off as if it were no big deal.
 
"What?"
 
"Kid, I got that you did it out of impulse because you were pissed with your
boyfriend and Halla stealing your boyfriend."
 
What. The. Fuck. 
 
"Wait. How did you know? What? He's not my boyfriend-" 
 
"Long story short, you love him."
 
"I do not."
 
"Yeah, keep telling yourself lies like that, kid."
 
"I'm not a kid. I'm older than you."
 
"Jungkook, I don't think you realize this, but you're head over heels for
Taehyung oppa. Bruh, I don't know if the others could tell, but you surely
shoot daggers at Halla whenever she clings to Taehyung. And the way you look at
him... it's different from how you look at anyone else. Everyone else in fact."
 
Jungkook was about to protest, but he realized that Jane was right. The brat
who mistreated her honorifics with Jungkook was right. 
 
"Wow," Jungkook breathed, "you're good."
 
"I know," she flipped her hair off with an arrogant smile on her face. 
 
"But Taehyung probably doesn't want to be around me anymore. He's always with
Halla."
 
"That may be true, but in my eyes, I'd say that you two are playing a sissy
game around each other to piss one another off," she laughed, "and you guys are
too stupid to just confess to each other."
 
Jungkook thought about for a moment and realized that Jane was right again.
 
"Thanks, Jane."
 
"No problem, kid."
 
This time, Jungkook smiled instead of arguing that he was older than her.
 
 
 
Jungkook waited in his room. He sat impatiently under the covers, waiting for
Taehyung to show up when clearly, the elder was not coming anytime soon. When
the hourglass had emptied to the other side, Jungkook got up to find Taehyung.
He walked around the dark halls in the library, listening for any suspicious
noises along the way. Jungkook traveled down the hall, hearing a girl speak.
 
"Taehyung, you're always so funny." 
 
Jungkook guessed that it was Halla speaking. Bitch.
 
"Am I that funny to you?" Taehyung's tenor voice spoke.
 
"Taehyung-ah... I've been wanting to tell you this for a while, but I think-
I think that I like you. A lot."
 
No fucking way, that whore did not just- Jungkook had pressed against the door,
causing the hinges to squeak. Without a second thought, Jungkook planted
himself against the wall, holding his breath. Taehyung and Halla's head turned
to the door. 
 
"Is someone there...?" Halla asked.
 
"It's probably just a small breeze," Taehyung interrupted. 
 
"Anyway, I like you a lot, Taehyung."
 
Jungkook's heart pounded in his chest. Please Taehyung... say anything but the
words that I can't bear to hear. Please.
 
Taehyung smiled, "I like you too, Halla."
 
And, that was it. Jungkook rushed off to his room, not giving a fuck about
whether or not they had heard him. He buried himself under the covers, feeling
hot tears to rush down his slightly scarred face. He couldn't believe it. Jane
was wrong; everyone was wrong; Jungkook was wrong. He was a fool to believe in
such a lie. He means, look where it got him. Happy. He was definitely happy.
 
Not.
 
Jungkook closed his eyes when he heard the bedroom door open. He knew that
Taehyung was going to bed now. Jungkook sincerely wanted to beat the shit out
of Kim fucking Taehyung because hell, his feelings were damaged. He wanted so
badly for Taehyung to take responsibility for his broken heart, but Jungkook
knew that he wouldn't say a word about it; he knew that he would simply pretend
to sleep and suffer in his own private pool of pity. 
 
Fuck you, Taehyung.
 
After a few hours of overthinking, Jungkook fell asleep. He was tired of
feeling the pain, so he just slept. In his dreams, he heard the cry of the
beast that he had killed. It sounded like the cry of an animal asking for help.
He re-visioned the scene where he had plunged his swords into the eyes of the
robot, hearing it break out into screeches of helplessness. 
 
The others are coming.
 
They're coming.
 
For blood.
 
For us.
 
Jungkook awoke from his terrifying epiphany, breathing frantically. He wanted
Taehyung to wake up and tell him that it was okay, but he knew that that wasn't
going to happen. How could Taehyung tell him that everything was going to be
okay when they, themselves, weren't okay. Jungkook's eyes panned over to
Taehyung's sleeping form. 
 
Are you happy?
 
 
 
 
The next morning, Jungkook had stood in front of the group of survivors eating
their breakfast at the pool table. He had his swords tucked tightly against his
back (when Jungkook took on the sword, Taehyung had created a back strap that
was custom made for Jungkook's accessibility). The other group members stared
at Jungkook with their eyebrows raised, wondering why the kid was so serious.
 
"Everyone," he began, "we need to move now."
 
Everyone looked at one another, breaking out into giant fits of laughter.
Taehyung and Jane were the only ones who didn't laugh. 
 
"What is this kid saying?" Baekhyun ridiculed. 
 
"Are you crazy?" Minju took a bite of her stale bread. 
 
"No, I'm serious. We need to go now. There are more robots coming our way and
we will die at this rate if we stay any longer."
 
"I thought you killed that scorpion bot," Sehun pointed at Jungkook with an
accusing finger.
 
"I did! But it somehow called more of them over. It was screaming like an
injured animal who needed help, okay?"
 
"You're full of shit," Baekhyun shook his head.
 
"Jungkook, are you sure you didn't lose some of your sanity when you killed
that bot?" Yuna and Halla joked. Taehyung didn't find any of this amusing.
 
"I'm serious! You need to come with me!"
 
"And what? Die on the way? You kidding me? Nope. I'd rather stay here where
it's safe than follow an insane moron like you, sorry Jungkook," Sehun spat. 
 
Jungkook's eyes went to the silent ones. 
 
"Kyungsoo? Jane? Yujin?" he pleaded. They continued to eat their food with eyes
trained on nothing in particular. 
 
"Don't fucking try to take my girlfriend, kid," Baekhyun threw a piece of
cracker at Jungkook's hair, causing the crumbs to dust over his black locks.
 
"Taehyung?" This time, Jungkook's voice came out to be desperate. He prayed
that Taehyung, his savior, would support him when everyone else doubted him.
Taehyung looked to Jungkook with cold eyes. Jungkook felt the intimidating
chill, taking a step backwards from the elder's glare.
 
"Just go, Jungkook."
 
Jungkook's lips trembled. He couldn't believe that Taehyung had refused him as
well. This is it, Jeon Jungkook. You are alone, alone, and alone. Jungkook
turned on his heel, running upstairs to pack his bags. He hadn't even whispered
a goodbye to anyone before storming out of the settlement. When he had wandered
far enough onto an ash covered road with rocks and debris piling on the side of
the road, he clutched his chest with a hand, feeling the tears break free from
their cell. He cried. 
 
The sound of a woman crying spooked him, though. He jumped behind a rock and
poked his head out to see if anyone was around. As he looked further down the
road, he saw a single woman standing. She wasn't moving any part of her body
was was completely still, but she sounded like she was crying. Jungkook's eyes
narrowed down onto her attire, his heart thumping at an incredible pace. Those
clothes looked familiar. Too familiar. 
 
"It can't be," he whispered in suspicion. "Mom."
 
Taehyung wanted to follow Jungkook; he wanted to apologize and tell the younger
that what he did was wrong; that he never liked Halla. He wanted to tell
Jungkook that he was just angry, so he played a game that ended badly. As
Taehyung walked down a steep hill of rocks, he too heard the echo of a someone
crying. He spotted an strange woman standing in the middle of the ash-trailed
road. 
 
That's odd, he thought. When he saw another body rise from behind broken rocks,
his eyes widened.Jungkook! He wanted to scream, but refrained from doing so.
The situation was so off. Jungkook was walking towards the woman and that's
where it all clicked in Taehyung's mind.
 
 
"Mom? I-is that you?" Jungkook walked towards the woman backside. She was still
crying. "It's you, r-right? Say something! It's me! Jungkook!" Jungkook was in
some sort of trance of shock; Taehyung was sure of it. Because, no regular
human being would not notice the thing behind the woman crying. In fact, it
wasn't even a woman at all; it was the remains of a woman, a woman that
Jungkook saw being taken away eight years ago.
 
"Jungkook! Get away from there! You're being lured in! Run! God dammit, Jeon
Jungkook!" Taehyung sprinted towards Jungkook, trying his best not to fall
himself. Taehyung kept his eyes on the glowing red eyes, though; he did not
want to miss a thing. 
 
"M-mom," Jungkook croaked, inching closer to the skin of his already dead
mother. 
 
"Jungkook! No!" 
 
When Jungkook had touched his mother's shoulder, he felt a very cold
substance—something that alive human skin would not feel like. Jungkook was so
shocked that he let his emotions take over all his logic and rationality. He
couldn't believe that after eight years, his mother had shown up in front of
his eyes. He was sure that she had died when being abducted, but now that she
was here, he was scared. 
 
The clicking sound had gotten louder, as the robot emerged from the shadows.
Jungkook turned around with red and puffy eyes, still in a trance. He gave no
acknowledgement to the robot, but Taehyung did. Just as the robot was about to
strike, Taehyung had pushed Jungkook away, getting coiled into the snake's tail
in Jungkook's place. 
 
"Jungkook, run!" Taehyung screamed, trying his best to wriggle himself out of
the snake's grip.
 
From the fall, Jungkook had come back to his senses. Taehyung.
 
"Let go of Taehyung!" Jungkook stood up. He wasn't going to let the filthy
monster take away the last bit of what was his.
 
"No! Jungkook, you need to run! Leave me!" Taehyung gasped at the tightening of
the snake's tail. The metal skin had impeded into Taehyung's soft flesh,
causing blood to trickle down his legs and dye the metal coat a wine-red. 
 
"You son of a fucking bitch!" Jungkook drew his swords from behind his back,
ready to charge at the snake, until a cannon went off. One, then two, and then
three shots were heard, causing the snake bot to look around in confusion.
Jungkook took this moment to charge at the snake, but a blast had went off. The
snake dropped Taehyung onto the ground, slithering away from whatever had hit
it. "Taehyung!" Jungkook shouted, dropping his swords to catch the elder in his
hands. "Taehyung, stay with me!"
 
Taehyung's eyes were drooping, and Jungkook had a feeling that this was the
end. 
 
"D-don't cry," Taehyung coughed out blood, "you little ba-baby." 
 
Even his laugh was limp.
 
"T-Taehyung," Jungkook wailed, hot tears tumbling down his cheek, "please...
don't go..."
 
His eyes were reddening and his lips quaked in fear. This couldn't be the end.
 
"Ya, you k-kid." Taehyung touched his hand upon Jungkook's tear-stained cheek.
"It was an honor walking with you, Jeon Jungkook. Don't cry please. For me."
 
Jungkook saw Taehyung's eyes close; saw his hand fall from cheek; saw his head
roll back limply. 
 
"Taehyung," Jungkook shook the elder lightly. "Taehyung," his eyes widened with
beads of tears lined across his eye-line. "Taehyung. Stop. This isn't funny.
Wake up!" he was now shaking the elder violently. "Taehyung-ah! Hyung!" he
cried, holding the elder close to his chest. He buried his face in Taehyung's
hair with muffled cries of pain and loss seeping through his voice. It was the
end.
 
All of a sudden, a man had come up from behind Jungkook. 
 
"Excuse me, but we will be taking this boy from your hands if that's okay with
you," the silver-haired man spoke.
 
Jungkook looked up with streaks of tear lines along his cheeks.
 
"What? No. You can't take him! What for? Who are you?"
 
"If you want your friend to live, then I suggest you hand him over."
 
With that, the silver-haired stranger had called over two men in black, as they
picked up Taehyung from Jungkook's warm embrace. Jungkook saw the blood
dripping from Taehyung's body, and he honestly wanted to puke because that
was his Taehyung who got hurt. Jungkook was far past being furious. He grabbed
his swords, fingers scraping against the ash floor, as he made his way over to
the library. 
 
This time, they die.
 
Jungkook stopped at the library. He had accepted his inhumane side with no fear
because a world without Taehyung was even scarier than with a world with
robots. Jungkook couldn't let Taehyung's injury go by, not without the death of
a robots—thousands even. Because, Jungkook would do it all; he would take the
weight of the world upon his shoulders, just so that he could see Taehyung's
bright smiles in the light of day. 
 
Jungkook walked into the darkness. His eyes darkened when he saw the dead and
skinless bodies sprawled out over the floor; it smelt terrible. Jungkook's ears
twitched when he heard the slightest movement against bookshelves upstairs. He
stepped towards the middle of the library, stepping in the puddles of blood
that had infected the carpet. Jungkook needed to smear his former comrades'
blood on his boots to gain strength. 
 
The snake bot hissed, making its way around the corner. Books fell from the
shelves, as Jungkook tightened his grip around his swords. He closed his eyes,
allowing his instincts to pilot the plane. His heart was pumping the fresh
blood of his dead comrades and the blood of Kim Taehyung, the man that Jungkook
cares so deeply for.
 
The snake broke out from behind an isle of bookshelves, aiming for Jungkook's
head, but the elder had ducked and sliced the belly of the snake, creating a
shivering squeal from the snake. It coiled around, hissing at Jungkook with
fierce blades made for teeth. Jungkook waited for his opponent to advance. When
the snake bot charged at Jungkook, Jungkook jumped to the side, throwing a
blade to the side of the snake's body. The snake shrilled in anger from the
blow, as Jungkook ran around the bot.
 
He jumped over the bot's whipping tail, slicing the side of its body
mercilessly. The snake jerked the opposite direction, trying its best to
escape, but Jungkook had ran up its back just in time. He drove his sword into
the nape of the snake, causing it to fall to the floor. Its sharp dagger-like
tail had straightened out, ready to aim for Jungkook's body, but Jungkook had
pulled his first blade out of the snake's side, just in time to cut the tip of
the tail off.
 
Jungkook stomped his way up to the snake's head. Without a given second,
Jungkook rammed his single sword into the snake's eye. He, himself, did not
know why the eye seemed to pull the plug, but it worked and Jungkook wasn't
ready to take chances, yet. Jungkook continued to drive his sword into the
snake's eyes, until the snake stopped moving completely. Still, after a few
minutes, he pulled his sword out of the eye, then the nape. 
 
Jungkook cut open the snake's belly, immediately looking away when he saw the
bloody skins of his comrades. He closed his eyes and began lurching out of the
library. He came face-to-face with the blinding lights of something. Jungkook's
face was covered in cuts that were running with blood and his arms were dirty
from the ash and sweat. 
 
He felt his vision blur, just as if the lights got brighter. His head was
pounding as he fell to the floor from physical and mental exhaustion. Someone
had came over to him, shaking him violently, but he heard nothing. He saw the
shape of a face, but all he saw was white. No red, no black, just white. 
 
I had a good run.
 
 
 
"I see that you're up, finally."
 
Jungkook's eyes adjusted to the new setting. His vision had cleared. 
 
"I honestly thought that you wouldn't have made it... the doc said that it was
fifty-fifty."
 
Immediately, Jungkook recognized the person.
 
"Where's Taehyung?"
 
"Oh, you mean that little one over there?" the man pointed to a patient five
beds over from Jungkook.
 
Jungkook sighed in relief because he honestly thought that Taehyung was done
for. Thank god not.
 
"Who are you people? Where am I? What do you want from me?" Jungkook started
spitting out questions like rapid-fire.
 
"I am Namjoon, the leader of BTS which is a resistance group against robots."
 
Jungkook stayed quiet.
 
"Where am I?"
 
"The infirmary of BTS' head quarters."
 
"And you want exactly...?"
 
"Your compliance."
 
"For what?"
 
"We'd like you to join BTS."
 
Jungkook was utterly confused. He didn't know if this was some trick or treat. 
 
"I understand that you might be extremely confused, but allow me to clear that
up for you after you get better, of course," Namjoon crossed his legs, his
hands bracing his knee.
 
"You did manage to save Taehyung, right?"
 
"Well, would you like to have a look at his vitals for confirmation?"
 
Jungkook's eyes drifted over to Taehyung's bed. He's alive, he thought. That's
all I need, right? Right?
 
"Show me what you've got when I'm able to walk," Jungkook spoke with his eyes
still trained on Taehyung's figure.
 
"Of course, I wish you a quick recovery..." Namjoon trailed off in absence of
not knowing Jungkook's name.
 
"Jungkook."
 
"Right. Jungkook. I hope you recover quickly."
 
Namjoon stood up from his stool, walking out of the glass doors of the
infirmary. Now, Jungkook could take a good look around a section of the
facility. Everything looked so clean, techno, and futuristic. It was so
different from the outside, the surface. Here, Jungkook felt safe. Well, safer.
Neon purple, blue, and white tubes had lined the walls as a source of light for
the facility. Overall, everything was bright and well-lit, compared to
outside—where everything was so gloomy and dim. 
 
Jungkook saw a nurse walk into the infirmary, strolling over to Taehyung's bed
with a clipboard in her hand. He watched how she rolled his bed out of its
original spot.
 
"Hey, what are you doing?" he questioned. She looked over at Jungkook with a
smile on her face.
 
"We are moving him to a perfluorocarbon tank."
 
"What is that?"
 
"It's basically a tank where he can breathe in liquid. It's easier for us to
monitor him, as well as it is for him to regain his senses and consciousness." 
 
"Oh," was all Jungkook could say. He watched the nurse roll Taehyung away,
hoping that Taehyung would turn out okay. Rest, his mind told him; after all,
he was going to need a quick recovery in order to be toured around the
headquarters of BTS—whatever the fuck that is.
 
 
 
"This is BTS," Namjoon spread his arms out wide, gesturing to the whole
facility. Jungkook's eyes widened after realizing that BTS was pretty big and
very advanced in technology. If he were to ever join BTS, he surely wouldn't
have to scrape by anymore. 
 
"Wow, you guys are pretty... equipped and stuff," Jungkook crossed his arms and
nodded his head in approval."
 
"There's more to it. Let me first take you to The Brain," Namjoon led Jungkook
to a simple white door, opening it to reveal a whole bunch of screens, people,
and just stuff that Jungkook had no idea about.
 
"What is this?" 
 
"This is our brain. All of the brightest work here to provide strategies on how
to infiltrate The Generator and destroy it. Plus, The Brain is also responsible
for running all the duties of BTS."
 
Jungkook nodded his head in understanding, but just had to jump to a question. 
 
"What is The Generator... exactly?"
 
"You will learn that in your training if you decide to cooperate with us.
Anyway, let's go to The Lab."
 
"What's The Lab?"
 
"It's where we invent, research, and discover things."
 
Namjoon showed Jungkook around the whole facility, not leaving a corner or
crevice left out. Jungkook was highly impressed by BTS' will to survive and
fight against those monsters. He was sure that BTS was a strong and stable
place, but he wasn't sure in himself to be able to participate in BTS' cause.
That was why he and Namjoon were sitting at a lounge above the whole facility. 
 
"So, what do you think?"
 
"It all seems so... amazing. I think you guys are really great," Jungkook said
honestly. 
 
"Do you want to join?"
 
Jungkook hesitated. 
 
"I mean, your cause... it's great and all, but I'm not... good enough for it."
 
Namjoon leaned back into his chair, crossing his arms with a smirk on his face.
 
"You are telling me this when you were the one that killed a robot without
having any knowledge about them."
 
"Well... I don't know okay?! I was just like... it spoke to me and it was like,
'go for the eyes!'" Jungkook shrugged. He demonstrated his thoughts with
actions for Namjoon.
 
"It spoke to you?"
 
"No! My conscience. I don't know... I just thought that if I blinded it, it
wouldn't be able to see me, but it turns out that the bot just died instead so
hey! The first time it went down, so on the second time, I did the same thing."
 
"Wait. What?" Namjoon leaned forward. "What do you mean first and second time?"
 
"Well, I killed a robot the first time, not knowing what the fuck I was doing.
And then, the second time at the library, I just went for the eyes because it
worked the last time. I don't know. My instincts are pretty strong when I'm
pissed."
 
Namjoon leaned back again into his chair with lips parted.
 
"Amazing," he whispered to himself. "Just amazing."
 
"What is?"
 
"You are."
 
"Oh, um, thanks?" Jungkook awkwardly looked away.
 
"Please, do consider joining BTS. If you want your friend to live, then I
suggest you learn to fight for his sake."
 
Jungkook's eyes bolted to Namjoon. Namjoon was right. If Jungkook wanted
Taehyung safe, he needed to be the one who kept him safe which was in the safe
and hidden headquarters of BTS. I want him safe, I want him alive, and I want
him in my arms because God knows what would happen if he wouldn't be with me
anymore.
 
"Deal."
 
"Pardon?"
 
"I said deal. I will join BTS."
 
"Are you sure?"
 
"Yes. I have someone who has protected me all my life... now I want to be that
person who is the protector."
 
"I like the way you think, Kook. Alright, your training starts tomorrow. I will
have you work with the other trainees at the training center."
 
"Yes, sir!" Jungkook saluted Namjoon who had gotten up to go tend to other
duties within BTS. 
 
Jungkook stood up, leaning against the railing of the highest story of the
facility, even if it was underground. He saw the amount of people running
around to fulfill different tasks and jobs. He closed his eyes and thanked the
Gods because if BTS hadn't found them, Taehyung would be dead and Jungkook
would be better off dead. Taehyung, would you look at this? This is our new
home? You don't have to take the bullet for me anymore. I'm going to become
strong, stronger than ever, and be your hero from now on.
 
 
 
Jungkook was supposed to wear a body suit. He wore it, but found nothing
comfortable about it. He wobbled around, trying to adjust to the new uniform as
a trainee, but felt nothing but weird. He saw other trainees walking down the
corridors casually, gossiping about topics within the training center. What the
fuck even? He thought.
 
Jungkook headed over to training center A, the place where combat training
takes place. There are different centers for different subjects. Center A
focuses on combat training, Center B focuses on book work, and Center C focuses
on simulations (putting people in scenarios and testing them on what techniques
they've learned from Center A and B).
 
When he walked into the center, there were masses of eyes all focused on him,
watching his every little move. Could you guys not? he thought with utmost
irritation. Jungkook awkwardly walked over to the line-up of trainees, trying
to find a place to stand at the end of the line. 
 
"Jungkook, why are you late?" Namjoon's voice boomed.
 
"I-I was having trouble with my suit..." Jungkook answered. He felt like a
child who was guilty of stealing from the cookie jar.
 
"Were you?"
 
"Y-yes..."
 
"20 laps around the training center. Remember this: one must never be late for
training."
 
Jungkook stood frozen in his spot because this was not the Namjoon that he had
met earlier.
 
"Well? What are you waiting for? Move!" Namjoon's voice knocked the wind out of
Jungkook's lungs, before the newest trainee began running around the center. 
 
Jungkook watched his fellow trainees practicing their formations. Each move
followed with every other, their bodies moving in sync. Jungkook was jealous
because he wasn't supposed to be running laps around the center; he was
supposed to be training so that he could protect Taehyung. Running doesn't help
anyone.
 
Jungkook began to huff and puff on his 4th lap around the center. He was
literally about to drop dead and pass out at any given moment. Sure, Jungkook
had a much better stamina in comparison to Taehyung, but he was nothing
compared to the trainees at the center. In fact, Jungkook doesn't even know how
he was able to kill those robots.
 
He continued running his laps, even when the other trainees had already left
for lunch break. There was no supervisor, but Jungkook guessed that there was
some sort of security camera that was watching him. He was sweating a waterfall
and his legs felt like they were able to fall off at any given moment. The burn
from the lactic acid was killing him.
 
"Three... more laps to go," he panted to himself.
 
"Enough."
 
Jungkook stopped and dropped to the floor. He was literally about to pass out,
but not in front of Namjoon's presence, of course.
 
"I-I didn't even finish all the laps, though."
 
"You don't need to. I just wanted to assess you to make the final decision."
 
Jungkook lifted his head up, staring at Namjoon with a confused expression.
 
"What do you mean by final decision?"
 
"I believe that you have the potential to become something greater than BTS
itself. I want to send you off to private training."
 
"Private training?" Jungkook was not just confused, he was worried.
 
"Yes. I want you to train for 3 years alone."
 
It took Jungkook a moment to process this new piece of information. Alone. 3
years. Alone. By myself. Training. With no Taehyung.
 
"Are you crazy?!" Jungkook jumped to his feet, ignoring the burn in his thighs
an calves. 
 
"No," Namjoon answered nonchalantly. 
 
"How can I leave for 3 years and leave Taehyung here? How can I be by myself?"
he was already entering with a trembling voice. His throat began to feel sore.
 
"That's the reason why you should agree. Think about it for a second. If you
learn to become strong enough by yourself, you have a better chance of
protecting those around you. I have confidence in you, Jungkook. Taehyung
probably does too. While you're away, he'll be recovering and you will as well.
I think that you're just not confident in yourself because of Taehyung because
you're not used to being without him. So find the you that is within you first
and then come see Taehyung."
 
Jungkook felt like crying, but he didn't. Namjoon was right. Heck, when was
this guy ever wrong? I'm a weakling, Jungkook thought to himself. But if I want
to become stronger, I need to do this. For me. For you. For us.
 
"Give me a day to think about it?" Jungkook asked with unintentional puppy
eyes.
 
"Of course."
 
And so, Jungkook spent the rest of his day and the next day inside of his room,
deciding whether or not 3 years was worth it. Would Taehyung even remember him?
Would Taehyung even be alive? Would he be alive? What would Taehyung think of
him? Will Taehyung wake up and have some sort of resentment? Questions like
these ran through Jungkook's brain. He really didn't have the capacity to be
this worried over something.
 
 
 
"I'll do it."
 
"Will you?" Namjoon turned around on his swivel chair, face Jungkook with a
pleased expression.
 
"One condition, though."
 
"And what would that be?"
 
"Take care of Taehyung... please..."
 
"Of course! Do you think we'll just let him rot away like that?"
 
Jungkook looked into Namjoon's eyes with orbs full of hope.
 
"We will take good care of him, Jungkook. Don't worry."
 
"Thank you. So, when do I start?"
 
"You will be flown over to a secretive base that is located in America. You
start today."
 
"Wait! But I never got to pack my stuff!"
 
"You don't need to. The whole point of your training is to make do with what
you got, kid."
 
"But-"
 
"General, the jet has been prepared," a guard had entered Namjoon's office with
a bow.
 
"What-but I-wait!" Jungkook protested when two guards came up from behind him,
grabbing him by the arms.
 
"See you in 3 years, kid."
 
 
 
Jungkook was dropped off in a dark place. The only light that he saw came from
the spotlight of light from the surface, until the hole had closed, leaving him
in complete darkness and silence. He was shaking in his bones. He stayed frozen
in his place because God knew what would be beyond the position he was sitting
in now. And, he kept his breathing to a minimum. 
 
"You are the special recruit that Namjoon sent, aren't you?" an old man's voice
spoke.
 
Jungkook's head turned to follow the sound of the voice. 
 
"W-who is there? Come out where I can see you!"
 
The old man chuckled.
 
"Feisty one, aren't we?"
 
"Namjoon said that I was in America... w-why are you speaking in K-Korean?"
 
"Because I am your teacher," the old man spoke. Rows of lights turned on one-
by-one, leaving Jungkook's eyes to adjust to the bright setting. "And you are
my student. Say, what's your name?"
 
"Jeon Jungkook..." Jungkook stared at the old man with a staff in his
hands. What even.
 
"Hm... Jungkook... I am your teacher. Do address me as Lee saem."
 
"Y-yes... Lee saem..."
 
"Good, now, let's talk for a while."
 
Lee saem helped Jungkook off of the floor, starting some discussion with his
pupil. He could already see why Namjoon had kept such a close on on the young
man named Jeon Jungkook. Jungkook was scared when he was dropped into darkness
through a hole in ground. He was far past being terrified, but when he saw this
old man, somehow, he knew that he was going to be okay. 
 
                                      +++
 
Three solid years had passed. Namjoon was speaking to another general named
Yoongi about war tactics, until he felt the corner of his lips twitching up. He
heard footsteps tap against the surface of the tile flooring. He grabbed three
kunais, throwing them blindly in the direction of a figure. The person managed
to doge the first two bullets, grabbing the last kunai's handle with his hand. 
 
"You're gonna have to do better than that... much better than that," the person
spoke as if he were ridiculing Namjoon.
 
"You've improved a lot," Namjoon faced the figure, nodding his head in
approval, "Jeon Jungkook."
 
"It's good to see you, general."
 
"What? I thought we went by a first name basis."
 
"If you'd prefer that, then that's fine too, Namjoon."
 
"That's better," Namjoon took the moment to take in Jungkook's transformation.
"The new look... it suits you. A lot."
 
"How so?"
 
"Don't know," Namjoon shrugged indifferently, "you just look like you could
kick some robot ass."
 
"Don't we always..." Jungkook rolled his eyes and stayed standing. It was as if
Namjoon could read Jungkook's mind.
 
"Go see him. Center A," Namjoon bobbed his head over in the direction of The
Brain's exit.
 
Without another word, Jungkook had bolted out of The Brain, running down the
halls while accidentally running into people. He stopped in front of the big,
bold letters reading: Center A. He took a gulp before coolly walking into
center. There were recruits that were training, but Jungkook couldn't see
Taehyung among any of them. 
 
He was puzzled. He hid behind a rack of weapons, looking over the various heads
of recruits. What the fuck-
 
"Jungkook?"
 
Jungkook's pupils narrowed. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up.
 
"J-Jungkook? Is that you?" Taehyung's voice quavered at the thought of seeing
Jungkook after such a long time. "Answer me you dweeb!"
 
Jungkook was out of his mind. He turned around and swiftly pulled Taehyung in
with his arm around the elder's waist. He pressed his lips against Taehyung's.
Taehyung didn't hesitate to even respond, so they just stayed like that, mouths
moving in sync. Jungkook licked the bottom of Taehyung's lip, begging for
entrance. He was desperate to just feel Taehyung. He wanted every part of
Taehyung. It seemed like close enough was just not enough.
 
Taehyung opened his mouth for Jungkook, allowing the other to wrap his tongue
around his own. Taehyung had so many questions for Jungkook, but they could
wait. He could tell that Jungkook had grown a lot over the course of three
years, for example, his personality. Now, Jungkook is bold as fuck and Taehyung
had no interest in stopping that. 
 
Taehyung moaned when Jungkook had pressed the elder against a wall, running a
hand through Taehyung's hair. Jungkook was practically breathing in
Taehyung. This was what he wanted ever since they were children. Jungkook
pulled away to pressed a sensual kiss to the corner of Taehyung's mouth, as the
elder leaned his head in attempt to capture the younger's lips.
 
"Wait," Taehyung whined when Jungkook pulled away. Jungkook's arm was wrapped
around Taehyung's waste as if it never left. 
 
"I missed you," Jungkook blinked, taking in Taehyung's appearance. Despite all
this time, Jungkook hadn't forgotten a single feature on Taehyung's body.
 
"I almost died without you by my side, Kookie," Taehyung's hand reached up to
stroke the younger's face. He missed this.
 
"You're better," Jungkook croaked.
 
"I'm better," Taehyung nodded his head, "and you're so different now too."
 
"A good different though, right?"
 
"Of course, Jungkook. The best different, but I think that I'm going to miss my
fragile Kookie at times, though."
 
"He'll never leave you, hyung." I'll never leave you.
 
"I can have that side of Jeon Jungkook all to myself, right?"
 
"Right."
 
 
 
"So, where have you been this whole time?" Taehyung asked as all the higher
ranks ate dinner together at the cafeteria. 
 
After some chit-chat, Jungkook found out that Taehyung had been promoted to
general of a division for human intelligence. Jungkook was proud of Taehyung's
great comeback after being injured badly in Jungkook's place. Jungkook still
gets the shivers of that day where he almost saw Taehyung dying right before
his eyes. 
 
"I've been training in isolation, basically," Jungkook answered truthfully.
 
"What? They," Taehyung pointed over to Namjoon and his crew of generals, "told
me that you were dead."
 
Namjoon smiled sheepishly, attempting to escape the situation with his tray in
his hands. 
 
"Oh no you don't," Hoseok and Jimin grabbed Namjoon by the shoulders and shoved
him back down onto the bench.
 
"What? You told him that I was dead? What the fuck?" Jungkook looked at Namjoon
with such disappointment. 
 
"We were going to go with plan B..." Yoongi trailed off.
 
"And that would be?!" Taehyung slammed his fists on the table. 
 
"Well..." Yoongi trailed off. He began to rise from his seat, slying picking up
his tray away, until Namjoon reached out to grab Yoongi by the sleeve.
 
"Oh no you don't. If I'm stuck here, then so are you, buddy," Namjoon smiled
spuriously. 
 
"Fuck you, Namjoon," Yoongi grumbled while Taehyung and Jungkook began to
lecture the two elder generals about how lying was a sin. Hoseok and Jimin
snickered the background, holding down the two generals whenever they tried to
escape.
 
"Alright, all of you quit your bickering before I starve you all tomorrow."
 
"Seokjin!" Jimin jumped from his seat and practically hung off of Seokjin's
arm.
 
"Did you get me my bread?" Hoseok asked the head chef of the cafeteria. 
 
"Wow, not even a simple greeting, huh?" Seokjin blew a piece of his fringe away
from his eye, pulling out a roll of bread. "Here, you little war brat."
 
Hoseok grabbed the roll of bread willingly, munching on it despite Jimin's
complaints of not being able to try the butter roll. Yoongi and Namjoon sat in
the midst of all this chaos, rolling their eyes at each other when Jungkook
complained about his stew being too cold. Namjoon gave Yoongi a look that read:
"this kid went off to training, yet he came back as a brat."
 
"Namjoon! I am so upset right now!" Taehyung gritted his teeth, feeling the
reassuring hand of Jungkook upon his thigh. Oh. Oh. 
 
"We apologized like 50 times. I think you can get over it, especially when you
have Jungkook right beside you," Yoongi rolled his eyes at Taehyung's scowl.
 
"Yeah! So why don't you just let us go?" Namjoon looked over at the occupied
Hoseok and Jimin. 
 
"No! You guys need to suffer-"
 
"Hoseok, Jimin! Seokjin is hiding more bread!" Namjoon pointed over at the
confused chef who was soon mobbed by two generals. Now, these were
generals. Generals.
 
"Seeya!" Yoongi and Namjoon chorused, forgetting about their supper, as they
bolted out of their seats and out of the cafeteria door. 
 
"Hey! Wait! You can't just fucking go, you pricks!" Jungkook stood up, throwing
his chopsticks at the floor. 
 
"They're horrible," Taehyung shook his head and crossed his arms. "But they're
what got me through your absence, actually."
 
Jungkook looked down at Taehyung, forgetting all about Namjoon and Yoongi. He
sat down and held Taehyung close. I'm here now. I'm here now so that you can
get through this with me. 
 
"When I heard that you died, I wanted to end everything. I would have been
better off dying in a fire. At least, that's what I thought. That was, until,
these five people came to me and helped me see something."
 
"And that something was...?"
 
"See that if I died... I wouldn't be able to remember you," Taehyung looked
into Jungkook's dark ember orbs. 
 
"Taehyung..."
 
"I promised myself that if I were ever to forget you, then that would be the
day where all your pain and experiences went down the drain. I couldn't let
that go to waste."
 
Jungkook didn't say anything, but Taehyung knew that Jungkook was never one for
words. Instead, Jungkook communicated through actions. The younger rubbed his
thumb against Taehyung's cheek, hands trailing up to his hair. They didn't care
if the whole cafeteria was watching because it was like time had stopped and
was buried under a frozen lake. 
 
If Jungkook could, he would swim in this lake to retrieve every single bit of
his memory with Taehyung. 
 
 
 
"Ah... you're so-" Taehyung moaned, hands rubbing at the expanse of Jungkook's
back.
 
"You like that?" Jungkook was never one for words, but this time was an
exception. He thrusted into Taehyung on his bed, cocking hitting the elder's
prostate with each rock of the mattress. Jungkook and Taehyung were in
Taehyung's dorm. Surprisingly, Jungkook had been able to sneak out of his own
dorm to visit Taehyung after resting hours.
 
"You're so good, Jungkookie-ah-" Taehyung began to lick at the curve of
Jungkook's neck, feeling his lover entirely. 
 
Jungkook had always wanted to do this; feel Taehyung's soft thighs tangled
against his waist; feel Taehyung's fingers drag through his hair, moaning his
name out; feel Taehyung's raw skin against his own in the heat of the night.
Their bodies rocked together as Jungkook groaned from the tightness of
Taehyung. He was seriously about to lose his mind because that feeling of being
close wasn't enough. 
 
Jungkook wanted to rip himself apart and just claim. He wanted to just pound
Taehyung into the mattress to show him how much he had grown and how much
stronger had become for the elder. He wanted to hear the elder's cries for more
and sleep peacefully into the night after they had sex. Jungkook wanted to have
Taehyung against his chest so that the elder could hear his heartbeat, the very
heart that beats for him. 
 
"Fuck, Jungkook. I'm going to come if you keep this up," Taehyung buried his
face into the crook of Jungkook's neck, letting his hot breath perfume
Jungkook's body.
 
"Is coming a bad thing?" Jungkook teased.
 
"Jesus fucking Christ, I swear to God that you're becoming bolder by the
second."
 
"But it's sexy."
 
"Very."
 
"See? You do like it."
 
"You're a fucking bitch, you know that? Just because you fuck like a god,
doesn't mean you are a god-holy shit-ah-hah..."
 
"Taehyung," Jungkook whispered into Taehyung's ears, making him shiver from the
raspy quality in Jungkook's voice, "come for me, hyung."
 
Taehyung tightened his arms around Jungkook's shoulders, letting out a string
of cries and come. Jungkook's name had come out like a mantra, and Jungkook was
far beyond satisfied. He thrusted in a few more times before letting out his
own string of cries, until he collapsed against Taehyung's damp skin. He
peppered kisses against Taehyung's shoulder, feeling the elder tap his back in
a familiar beat.
 
"You remembered it even after all these years?"
 
"Of course, how could I not?" Taehyung hooked his chin over Jungkook's
shoulder, holding his lover close.
 
"It's been a while... since you've done that..." Jungkook trailed off, "and I
thought that you were into Halla."
 
Taehyung stopped tapping, hands moving to push Jungkook up. He searched
Jungkook's eyes because even after three years, the younger still had it locked
in his mind. 
 
"Jungkook, I love you. You and only you. I have never felt a thing for her.
Ever. I just... I wanted to get along with the others, but she approached me
and when I saw you with Jane, I felt really jealous and upset."
 
"Taehyung, I-I love you too. I've loved you ever since we were children. When
my mother practically went into a state of depression, you were there, you were
my light."
 
"Jungkook-ah," Taehyung caressed Jungkook's cheeks, "this heart beats for you
and only you."
 
Jungkook looked away from the elder because hell, he was embarrassed as fuck.
He had never been good with words or emotions, although he was a ball of
emotions and other shit when he was younger. Taehyung had always been the
diplomat and talker, being that his way with people and words were
indescribable. Jungkook had always wanted to be strong in areas like those.
Ever since he took off for three years, he has developed the inner leader
inside of him. 
 
"You don't have to say anything, Jungkook. I know."
 
Taehyung laid back down, patting the space next to him on his bed. Jungkook had
automatically fell into that spot, drowning in it while basking in the warmth
and comfort of Taehyung's embrace. Jungkook thought that he would be the one
holding Taehyung, but some things never really do change, even after a certain
amount of time, do they?
 
 
 
There was a major meeting full of high ranking officials at The Brain. Namjoon
was sitting at the head of a conference table. Jungkook was standing against
the wall with his foot propped up against the wall, crossing his arms, as he
listened to the intense conversation that the generals were having. 
 
"As you all know, my fellow generals, we need to find a way to destroy The
Generator, in which we all know as the spawn of robots."
 
Everyone nodded their heads, speaking in hushed tones of agreement. 
 
"Our scouts have found some terrifying footage," Namjoon pressed a button on
the touch screen, pulling up footage filmed from BTS scouts. "What you are
about to see... is something above horrific."
 
The video had begun playing as the sound of clanking, fire burning, and
screeching was heard in the background. The camera flipped over to pools of
blood on the floor. It then followed the dripping blood drops, as the lens had
landed on hanging bodies. No, they were bodies; they were the skin of dead
bodies. Human flesh hung from chains in hundreds of rows along the ceiling, the
reflection of light from the fire shining against these skins. 
 
The scout sounded like he was about to puke, before a shrieking sound was heard
nearby. The camera flipped to the thousands of robots lined up against the
wall. There was a burning core with one giant robot in the middle of it.
 
"What the fuck is that...?" one of the scouts said.
 
"I don't know, but let's get out of here."
 
"Wait, but we need to-"
 
The two scouts were left screaming as the camera dropped to the floor. The
murderous sound of a robot was heard, and that was the last of the brave scouts
who had journeyed to The Generator.
 
"As you can see, this is what we have to watch out for," Namjoon got up from
his seat, walking around the conference room.
 
"What... what were those hanging human skins doing there?" Jimin asked,
cowering away into Hoseok's jacket.
 
"My guess is this: from what we saw with Jungkook's experience with that woman
and Taehyung, they use human skins to manipulate alive humans," Namjoon
shrugged.
 
"So... like bait? To lure people in?" Hoseok asked.
 
"More or less. But, my guess is that the more humans these robots terminate,
the more robots there are. You see, gentleman, these robots are not doing this
by their own will to berid of the human species. In fact, no one really knows
how they turned out like this. But, I have a theory, based off of different
countries and their system files and programs," Namjoon pressed another button,
showing two pictures displayed next to one another. "You see, my good men, one
script is the original programming for the country's system operations. The
second photo is the infected version. My belief is, is that during the war when
humans developed robots as an aid, these countries sent viruses to each other,
corrupting their internal system structures in the process. One of these
programs must have been with robots, so, from these infected files leaking into
the robot's scripts, we have these monsters now."
 
"Wait, wait, wait a minute. So you're saying that these robots are possibly the
result of such hacks from other countries?" Taehyung clarified. 
 
"Affirmative," Namjoon nodded his head.
 
"Well, seems like we're just left with a bunch of shit after the real shit,"
Yoongi groaned and rubbed his eyes. He was truly getting too old for this.
 
"Anyway, over the course of two months, we must come up with a strategy. I have
maps of The Generator that were recorded by our scouts."
 
"Alright, let's get to work, hoes," Jimin shrugged his shoulders, while Hoseok
slapped him on his chest. "Fine, you guys aren't hoes. You're bitches. Isn't
that better?"
 
"Someone deprive him of butter rolls for the next two weeks," Yoongi looked
around for any signs of a guard to deliver the message to Seokjin.
 
"No! I'm sorry! Please don't! Ah! Hoseok stop-ah! It hurts, hurts, hurts-holy
shit!" Jimin cried in pain, slapping the elder's devious hands when Hoseok
twisted his nipples. Both of them.
 
Jungkook shook his head and pushed himself off against the wall, heading for
the exit.
 
"Jungkook, you're not going to participate?" Namjoon called from behind,
ignoring his general's theatrics. 
 
"Namjoon, I'm just not cut out for this kind of stuff. And, I'm not even a
general. How can I plan with you all?"
 
"I sent you there to become a leader. Not a soldier," Namjoon marched up to
Jungkook, "you need to lead your people, Jungkook. It can only be you."
 
"Why me, though? You're already the head of BTS, why me?"
 
"Because if you become leader, then victory is ours."
 
"But why?"
 
"Because inside you is the heart of a lion."
 
 
 
Jungkook shook his head as he paced back and forth around his room. Namjoon was
expecting too much of him. Leader? What leader? Jungkook, a leader? The elder
must have been smoking crack or something. Jungkook ignored the turn of his
dorm wheel, as Taehyung stepped in, plopping himself down on Jungkook's bed. He
watched how Jungkook's eyes spilled worry from them.
 
"Namjoon is right, Jungkook, you were born to be a leader."
 
"Oh, not you too, Tae."
 
"It's true, though."
 
"No it isn't-"
 
"Jeon Jungkook," Taehyung's deep voice boomed. Jungkook stopped pacing and
turned to Taehyung with wide eyes. "What have you learned within your three
years of training? Did you just let all that time go to waste, just so you
could look down upon yourself?"
 
"No."
 
"Then what? Look, baby, inside of you, you have no idea what you are caging
in," Taehyung stood up and stepped towards his lover. "You could lead an army
of generals and soldiers. You have the potential to unlock the biggest lock
within your soul."
 
"What's that, then?"
 
"You."
 
Jungkook looked his feet and furrowed his brows. Am I really that scared
still? 
 
"Jungkook, believe me when I say this: you have the world in your hands and
mind. All you need to do is have a little trust in yourself because whatever
you do, I know you'll do it right."
 
"But how do you know for sure?"
 
"Because that's the kind of person you are, baby," Taehyung kissed Jungkook's
forehead and hugged the younger tightly. "Please, don't stay up late tonight.
Good night, Kookie."
 
Taehyung left Jungkook to his own greedy thoughts. Be the leader you want to
be, Jungkook. How hard could that be? Jungkook thought. Very hard. But so what
if it's hard? If it's hard, then you just tackle the difficulty. Be the you
that you are.
 
 
 
"I'll do it," Jungkook interrupted the middle of a meeting. 
 
"It's nice to know that you've obliged," Namjoon nodded over to an empty seat
next to him. Jungkook hesitantly sat next to Namjoon, as all eyes were stuck on
him. "Everyone, I'd like you to address Jungkook as your new general. He will
be in charge of Operation: The Core."
 
The officials had gasped at the sudden decree of Jungkook's position. Jungkook,
himself, had jumped at this announcement. He had officially believed that
Namjoon was a lunatic in its purest form. Well, excluding Jimin and Hoseok as a
pair, Namjoon was the craziest one of them all. 
 
"Well, let's get back to planning, then," Namjoon smiled, steering the topic in
its rightful direction. 
 
Operation: The Core... general... that doesn't sound too bad, Jungkook thought
greedily. Maybe, just maybe, he would fit into all this mess of titles and
machines. 
 
 
 
"So, if we're looking at it from their point of view, I'd guess that they have
cameras or eyes all over the place," Jungkook shrugged, pointing at the map.
The other generals were deciding what entrance they should take, as to
bombarding The Generator. Jungkook looked through the previous footage that
various scouts had turned in, but it seemed like all entries were guarded by
robots. 
 
"So what do you suggest?" Yoongi sat back into his chair.
 
"The top."
 
Everyone went silent because oh, no one had thought of the roof.
 
"Why don't we come in from the top and scare them. They will never see it
coming."
 
"That may be true, but what if they expect it?" Hoseok asked.
 
"Why don't we just hack into their systems using the stealth tactic? From
there, we can at least see what their programs are capable of doing. We check
check the raw data," Jungkook gave a look to Namjoon who seemed t have agreed
to the youngest general's proposal. 
 
"Alright, I'll have a team tap into their system... in the mean time, we will
discuss the blueprints by Jungkook's eye," Namjoon announced, sending a
notification to a team like he said he would.
 
"Well, I figure that they won't have a clue about the roof because in the
video, there were hanging skins on the ceiling."
 
"So? Wouldn't that mean that there would be more robots guarding those skins?"
Jimin tapped his pen on the side of the table, waiting for Jungkook's
explanation. 
 
"I don't think so. I mean, if Namjoon's theory is correct about these robots,
they probably wouldn't know that we're there because of those robots. Remember
the first piece of footage that we saw? There were robots stacked on some sort
of shelves against the walls of The Generator. It's like they're all turned
off... like the only one that could turn it on is Big Mama."
 
"Big Mama?" Taehyung raised his brow at his lover. 
 
"Taehyung, you're a faggot. But yes, Big Mama. Big Mama is what we'll code name
that giant robot at the core. It must be the one that controls all. So, here's
what I suggest: we enter from the ceiling and hide among the chains of flesh.
Then, we have different sections to fend off the incoming robots so that The
Core division can have a clear pathway to defeat Big Mama."
 
"Jungkook, so many troops will die, though," Taehyung touched the younger's arm
timidly. He was more afraid for Jungkook's safety, being that Jungkook was The
Core division's leader. 
 
"I know," Jungkook looked down at his lap, "I know that, but that's exactly why
we should do it. If we enter from the sides, front, or back, we're bound to
lose... but getting them while they're unaware of the situation at hand, at
least we'll stand a chance." Jungkook looked at his fellow generals with a
flame in his eye, "isn't this why you're all here? To have a chance? To put an
end to such brutality, immorality, inhumanity?"
 
The generals looked down as if they were thinking about what to do next. But,
they already knew what to do; they knew it all along. It was just their leader,
their savior, who needed to do a little figuring out to do along the way. What
they saw was no longer a scared little boy, but, instead, a man.
 
"There he is," Namjoon cracked a smile. "Jimin, hand over my 5,000 won."
 
Jimin groaned and reluctantly pulled out his money, handing it over to that
arrogant bastard, Namjoon.
 
"What?" Jungkook couldn't believe what he was seeing.
 
"See? I told you that that inner leader would shine, why didn't you believe
me?" Namjoon teased the sulking Jimin because he just lost his fucking money.
For bread. To Namjoon.
 
"I knew it all along," Yoongi said as he put his hands on the table.
 
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Hoseok pointed a finger at the elder,
"you chickened out because you wanted to buy pot from that trainee."
 
"Look, marijuana is very scarce, okay? I only smoke once a month," Yoongi
glared at Hoseok.
 
"Still! You didn't even do shit, grandpa."
 
"Watch your language, kid."
 
"What in the actual fuck," Jungkook's eyes twitched as Taehyung began laughing
hysterically, hitting the younger's shoulder for emphasis.
 
"They were betting on you to see if you were going to grow a dick or not,"
Seokjin entered nonchalantly, handing everyone their drinks.
 
"My bread?" Jimin looked up at the chef with puppy-dog eyes.
 
"You lost your money, forget you, child," the chef walked right past a
brokenhearted Jimin. Jimin looked to Hoseok with sad eyes, but Hoseok wasn't
paying attention because he was too engrossed in the argument with Yoongi.
 
"Why... why was the bet necessary?" Jungkook scoffed, confirming that he was
the only normal person around here.
 
"Because I needed the money for some pot," Namjoon shrugged. "Yolo."
 
"You! You're going to steal my monthly stock of pot! Don't you dare!" Yoongi
jumped from his seat, feeling the anger and betrayal bubble to his ears. 
 
"Too bad, hyung, I haven't smoked in like three months. Take a break, won't you
grandpa?"
 
"Hoseok! Jimin! Get that rat! I command you to!" Yoongi shot a finger at
Namjoon, practically declaring war on the other.
 
"Will I get my bread?" Jimin asked hopefully.
 
"Just get the fucking bastard, will you?!" 
 
With that, Hoseok and Jimin had stumbled out of their seats, scrambling to
catch a runaway Namjoon. Taehyung had already slipped out of his seat, crying
on the floor from laughter. Jungkook, he was debating whether to walk away or
to shoot himself because nothing couldn't get any crazier and stupider than
this. But nothing could get anymore wholesome than this either.
 
 
 
Two months have passed like the speed of light; at least, that's what Jungkook
thought. He and Taehyung were laying down on his bed, conversing about their
future and the upcoming battle. 
 
"Nervous, aren't you?" Taehyung read Jungkook like a booking, lightly tucking a
finger-full of Jungkook's fringe out of his eyes. Jungkook admired Taehyung a
lot, but he had to say that his lover's fingers were a weakness that made his
knees turn into jelly. 
 
"Is it that obvious?" Jungkook asked, staring into Taehyung's benevolent eyes
as they laid on their sides, speaking through silence. As contradicting as it
may be, it was their thing. 
 
"A bit," Taehyung smiled and bit his lip because if only he and Jungkook could
have been alive in a different period of time, they could sit on a hill and
watch the grass grow, the stars shine, and the rain pour. He wanted to share
every moment that he could spare with Jungkook; he wanted to give Jungkook the
world on a silver platter, but he couldn't. If only they could have been born
in a different time period so that they could be a tale as old as time.
Taehyung knew that he couldn't be with Jungkook, until the latter turned grey. 
 
"What about you? Are you nervous?"
 
"I was," Taehyung answered truthfully, "but when you showed up, I knew things
had changed because we have found our savior." 
 
Jungkook didn't say anything, but Taehyung could see everything through the
meaningful look in Jungkook's eyes. Jungkook couldn't understand why everyone
had such immense trust in him, but with Taehyung by his side, his worries
diminished. Jungkook felt as if he were an empty canvas and Taehyung was his
artist. Was life always like this?
 
"Jungkook-ah," the elder cooed, "I love you, you know that right?"
 
Jungkook nodded. He felt scared for some reason... as if something bad was
going to happen; he had a hunch. He had this sudden feeling of worry because
Taehyung was speaking as if he were going to disappear off of the face of this
earth. 
 
"Hyung... you're speaking as if you're going to leave me," the younger tried to
crack a smile to break the intensifying atmosphere. Taehyung didn't say
anything or even offer a smile. Now, Jungkook was really scared. "H-hyung...
promise me something?"
 
"What would that be, baby?"
 
"S-stay with me? Forever? You promise? Until the end of time... be by my side?"
 
Taehyung's heart was shattering into tiny fragments of glass, he gulped and
hesitated with his reply. 
 
"I-I would never leave," he just had to pull off a smile for Jungkook's sake.
The younger looked as if he was on his last strand of hope.
 
"I-I love you too, h-hyung."
 
Too much to let you go.
 
 
 
Jungkook walked down the corridor with his boots clacking against the tile, as
he walked down to the main room. He was armored up in the finest black battle
suit that one has ever laid their eyes on. His helmet rested against his hip,
as he continued walking, ignoring the bows and greetings of passers. Jungkook
was decked out from head-to-toe, and he was ready. Ready to detonate,
excruciate, and destroy. 
 
When he got to the second floor of the main hall, he saw the other generals all
decked out too, standing in a circle. They offered their hands for Jungkook to
join. 
 
"Today, we will be going to war, ladies," Namjoon announced to his generals,
earning a smack to the shoulder from Yoongi. "I am so proud of our progression
and team. Thank you for this amazing journey."
 
"Wow, thanks for the great speech, asshole," Yoongi scoffed.
 
"Yeah, I know. Amazing is all we get from him, cheap-shot," Hoseok rolled his
eyes as Jimin snickered away. Taehyung was staring at Jungkook the whole time,
gulping when the younger looked to his direction. Jungkook's eyes told him to
have no fear, but Taehyung's heart said otherwise. The younger gave him a
chaste smile, before Namjoon told Jungkook that it was his time to shine.
Jungkook stepped up to the railing and looked at the tens of thousands of
soldiers standing at his feet.
 
Here goes nothing.
 
 
"Good evening, my fellow comrades," Jungkook coughed into the microphone,
feeling the nausea kick in. Public speeches weren't his thing. He was more of a
soliloquy or monologue kind of guy. "I see that you're all... dressed for the
event?" Oh God, he knew that he was done for. Jungkook looked over his shoulder
and caught Taehyung's eyes. The elder pumped his fist in support and that made
the world all much brighter.
 
"Today, we go to war. Not with human beings, but with robots. You see, the war
between human beings had ended, but a new conflict aroused between man and
machine, the very machine that we used to fight each other with. We are no
longer little boys, we are men. The moment you step out onto the surface, is
the moment where you will never see life the same way again. One may walk away
with experience and enlightenment on their hands... or one may walk away with
terror running through their veins. It is up to you, my good men, to decide
what story you are willing to tell. When I was a little boy, I saw what these
robots are capable of doing. They are strong, relentless, and remorseless. We
didn't have a chance against them... until today. Your years of training with
the finest generals have given you the advantage. Humans, we now have a chance
against these beasts! We need to show them how fucking bad we are! What kind of
people we are! So let's go kick some fucking ass and rule this world over
again! It will be my honor to serve with you all today. Please, do not forget
today to live in victory. Victory comes from the memory and history of today.
Thank you."
 
The crowd roared as the generals ran up to Jungkook, patting him on the back.
Taehyung hadn't moved from his spot, but he held his arms wide open for
Jungkook to run into. Maybe, just maybe, Jungkook was cut out for public
speeches after all. 
 
 
 
The stealth jet had dropped troops down onto the ceiling of the generator, as
Jungkook followed after his unit of troops. Namjoon had taken the lead for
Division A, the unit that was surrounding and defending The Core division,
Yoongi was responsible for Division B, the layer surrounding the right
hemisphere of Division A, Taehyung was the commander for Division C, the left
hemisphere, Jimin was responsible for Division D, the division surrounding both
hemispheres, and Hoseok was responsible for the units surrounding the robots
that were approaching Divisions B, C, and D. That way, the divisions could
clear a pathway for The Core division.
 
Yoongi motioned for his troops to land first among the hanging skins.
Taehyung's troops followed after. Jungkook had motioned for Jimin, Hoseok, and
Namjoon to stay still, until Yoongi managed to get his troops in first. Each
troop had a highly advanced mini jets attached to their elbows and boots to
provide short-distant and long-distant thrusts for escapes or advances. Also,
each troop carried laser blades that were specifically designed to target the
eyes of robots. Each soldier wore a helmet that covered the whole face, but the
purpose of that design was to provide a 360 scope of the combatant's sight. So,
inside the helmet, the combatant can see all around he/her.
 
Namjoon, Yoongi, Jimin, Hoseok, and Taehyung carried the same equipment, but
Jungkook's design was different. He had the jets, but his sword relied on
magnetic connection to the track around his wrists. That way, there's more
versatility and stability when handling an opponent. And, of course, he had
dual blades made from a graphite. All suits were based off of a graphite
molecular formula to provide heat resistance and durability. 
 
As soon as Yoongi's troops had dropped in, the war had begun. Yoongi and
Taehyung's troops had dropped to the floor, creating bloodshed amongst robots
and men. Jungkook nodded for Jimin to enter the arena, followed by Namjoon
after two minutes of stalling. Jungkook looked to his troops, raising his sword
in the air.
 
"Tonight, we fight for our men, our country, and our world! Get in there and
demolish these mother-fuckers!" Jungkook dove in through one of the holes, his
troops following him after. When Jungkook initiated the thrust, he landed
safely onto the floor. Immediately, Namjoon's division began to circle around
The Core division. There were men screaming and shouting in terror and
advancement, but Jungkook was immune to these noises. During his years of
training, he had built a bridge over the pain-filled wall that he had put up
when he was younger.
 
Jungkook motioned different gestures to divide his group up, as the other
divisions worked around them. When a robot had jumped down from a shelf, ready
to attack on of his teammates, he jumped in, slicing the bot's eyes in half. He
grabbed the troop's arm, hoisting the boy up. Jungkook turned around before
listen to the boy's words of appreciation. A few more robots had got in their
way, but Jungkook and his recruits kicked some easy ass. And, the other
divisions were doing a great job at clearing the path ahead.
 
"Sojin, Minhyuk, to the right," Jungkook ordered as his crew sprinted for The
Core. The recruits nodded, thrusting off to the right hemisphere. "Ji Eun,
Wooyoung, left."
 
A robot had abruptly fell in front of Jungkook, trying its best to squirm away
from its hunter. From above, a man had dropped down, stabbing a sword into the
eye of the bot. Taehyung, Jungkook thought. The elder smiled at him and
immediately thrusted to go for an incoming bot. Taehyung nodded his head over
to The Core. Jungkook gave a determined look to Taehyung before heading off
with his crew. The mission is still intact.
 
Jungkook stopped before a hissing group of bots who were standing around Big
Mama. Jungkook smiled knowingly before calling the shots. On perfection
coordination, a line of men had stood behind the robots, slaying from left and
right, even before the robots got a chance to turn around. Jungkook smirked at
the sight, but when he saw Big Mama turn around, fuck, she was big. 
 
Just like how his team had rehearsed, Jungkook fastened his blades in one
position, as his recruits stood behind him. Big Mama roared, trying her best to
swipe her enemies away with a blade-like arm. Jungkook and most of his recruits
had thrusted on perfect timing... the ones that didn't make it laid on the
floor with honor seeping from their blood. It was a pleasure fighting with you.
 
Jungkook thrusted until he was running along the sides of the walls with one
elbow thrust on. His recruits tried their best to distract the giant beast,
while Jungkook had to find a way to get the eye. He jumped onto a shelf,
waiting and watching his comrades die. No, he began to panic. They can't be
dying this fast. No! Jungkook jumped onto the shelf below, allowing fear to
takes its toll upon him. 
 
This was a nightmare. Jungkook looked around him. People were dying. Dying. He
couldn't hear anything, except the monstrous roars of machines and painful
cries of soldiers. He could see the fire spreading from all this destruction
and loss. Flashbacks were occurring in his brain. How his mother was abducted
and slaughtered away from his tainted eyes; how the monsters invaded and took;
how the smell of burning and rotting bodies made his insides turn from such
disgust.
 
Jungkook was losing himself again. Well, not quite yet. 
 
"Jungkook! Snap out of it!" Taehyung shook the younger by the shoulders, as
Jungkook's eyes had gone blank and still. "Jeon Jungkook!" Taehyung screamed,
dropping his swords onto the shelf to snap some sense into the younger.
 
"Taehyung, I feel so tired," Jungkook spoke while staring into the fiery abyss
of The Core. "I want to go home."
 
He was shutting down, and Taehyung knew it. 
 
"No, Jungkook, no," Taehyung cried, tears streaming down his face when he saw
the younger's vision begin the cloud, "you can't... Not now."
 
"I want to go to sleep. I can't do it anymore, Tae."
 
"You can't fucking shut down on me right now! What about the others? Are you
going to let them die?! Die in vain?!" Taehyung shouted.
 
"Taehyung, I don't want to see anymore people dying. I'm tired."
 
"Jungkook! Please! I'm tired too, but I'm not going to give up!"
 
"Take me home, Taehyung..."
 
"You can't do this! What about your mom? Are you going to let her death mean
nothing? Huh? Are you not going to fight back and gain what you've lost? She
died because of them, Jungkook! Are you just going to let them kill everyone
else too?"
 
Jungkook looked at Taehyung with his vision and objective returning.
 
"You can't let that happen, Jeon Jungkook. You can't have a mental breakdown
and let everyone's death mean nothing. You are here as the leader for a reason.
It's because of your strong heart and ability to overcome, so please! Please
let it shine."
 
Jungkook began to feel extremely angry. In fact, he was seething. He remembered
how his mother was taken away by these filthy machines; how she screamed for
him to run away; how he felt so useless when he couldn't save her. No. Jungkook
was tired of being helpless and useless. He remembered how he always relied on
Taehyung for everything; how he always put so much work on Taehyung's shoulder;
how he promised to become stronger for the both of them. But now, he was
stronger.
 
So let it shine.
 
Jungkook stood up with his blades scratching against the shelf. Taehyung looked
up at Jungkook's rising figure with teary eyes.
 
"Kim Taehyung, you better be safe or I will never forgive you," Jungkook spoke.
 
"Jungkook-ah!" Taehyung stood up.
 
"Go to your division, I'll handle things here."
 
Taehyung nodded his head, turning to thrust off, but he turned around before he
could start his jets. He ran into Jungkook, hugging the younger with a sloppy
kiss to Jungkook's lips. Jungkook looked at Taehyung in confusion.
 
"Thank you. You be safe too." 
 
With that, Taehyung thrusted off to help his division while Jungkook glared at
the robot with fearless eyes. 
 
No fear. 
 
Jungkook roared, running against the sides of the wall of shelves once again,
grabbing a chain from one of the shelves along the way. He jumped towards Big
Mama, leaping right off and onto the opposite wall the draw the chain
horizontally across. He ran along the wall a little bit more before ricocheting
off of Big Mama once again. The chain had tied around Big Mama's neck. Ji Eun,
Sojin, Minhyuk, and Wooyoung had jumped out of flames with chains in their
hands. They too copied Jungkook's actions, as the five continuously tied chains
around The Core's beast.
 
"I need a a recruit to hold this chain!" Jungkook shouted. He then ran up the
wall to hang onto the roof, after his spot was replaced. "Everyone pull and
keep it tight!"
 
Jungkook took a deep breath and closed his eyes before letting go of the roof,
using all of his jets to thrust towards the eyes. He was falling into a sea of
flames with a monster lying within it all. If, almost by instinct, Jungkook had
plunged his swords into the single giant eye of the machine. He was dragging
his swords down to down his fall, creating a great rip in the beast's eye. Big
Mama screeched in extreme rage, trying her best to grab at the nuisance on her
eye, but her arms were held back by chains. 
 
"This is for my mother!" Jungkook plunged one of his swords into her eye with
the thrust of his elbow. "This is for my first human friends! This is for
Taehyung! This is for all my dying comrades!" Jungkook had climbed up Big
Mama's eye with each thrusted stab. Jungkook drew his swords from the eye and
thrusted up with a final cry, "and this is for me!" Jungkook impaled his enemy
with dual swords on full thrust. 
 
Eventually, the eye's red glow had faded to a black screen. Jungkook hung from
his swords, as all of the other bots began to shut down; it was as if their
plug was literally pulled. Jungkook was breahting heavily from the emotional
and physical exhaustion, thrusting off onto the ground near his recruits.
Taehyung had run up to him, holding him as if it were their last moment.
Namjoon and the others had managed to show up all in one piece. 
 
"You did it, kid," Namjoon hugged Taehyung and Jungkook. "Hoseok managed to set
the self-destruct bomb. It's time to go."
 
Jungkook looked up to see Yoongi, Jimin, and Hoseok lined up with a salute. He
tore away from Taehyung's embrace, staring at his fellow generals in confusion
and fear. No. No, no, no, no, no.
 
"You can't be telling me that I'm going alone, right?" Jungkook looked at the
others with brimming eyes.
 
"Jungkook, only you can escape. That was the plan all along. Our job is done
here. We have accomplished our goal," Namjoon spoke for the others. 
 
"No, no you can't! I mean, what am I going to do by myself? You can't fucking
leave me alone by myself! Are you fucking serious? If you do that, then what
makes you any different from those robots? You can't fucking leave me alone by
myself in this world. How the hell? Taehyung! What about Taehyung?!" Jungkook
backed away from the others, feeling the shock electrocute his heart. 
 
"Taehyung agreed to the plan from the very beginning," Yoongi stepped up this
time.
 
Jungkook turned his vision to Taehyung who was looking at anything but
Jungkook. Jungkook marched over to the elder, grabbing him tightly by the
shoulders, hands clenching around the muscle. 
 
"Tell me that they're lying," he demanded. All of this was just a hoax, he was
pretty sure of it.
 
"T-they're telling the truth," Taehyung croaked, still looking away from
Jungkook's eyes.
 
"You're lying too?" Is that how it's going to be, Taehyung?"
 
"I'm not lying!" Taehyung looked into Jungkook's eyes with watery eyes. The
wall of tears had collapsed and flooded his soot-smudged face.
 
The look that Jungkook saw on Taehyung's face made his heart stop. He wasn't
lying. He's really going to leave me. Alone.
 
Jungkook let go of Taehyung's arms, backing away from the elder in shock. He
couldn't believe his eyes or ears. The news sounded so ridiculous that Jungkook
couldn't even trust his own senses. He couldn't tell if it was night or day
anymore. His eyes trailed up to Taehyung's face, as Taehyung fell to his knees
before Jungkook.
 
"I-I'm sorry, Kook-ah," he cried. "I want you to be the one who survives and
everyone agrees," Taehyung had lost most of his coherency, due to his heavy
bawling. 
 
"Why does it need to be me who escapes? Why can't it be all of us?" Jungkook
somehow so betrayed by his comrades. This was the end.
 
"Because your suit is the only suit that has double thrusters," Namjoon
answered. "Your suit was designed heavily for The Core and while designing, we
realized that there wasn't much power left for all of us. So, we picked the
most fruiting candidate and that's you, Jungkook. Actually, we're not even sure
if they will work appropriately, but it's meant for a quick escape. Even if we
did run away now, the blast would hit us even from a 20 mile radius."
 
Jungkook couldn't believe anyone. He literally felt like shit sinking into more
shit, into even more shit. His heart pounded from the thought of never seeing
Taehyung again.
 
"Y-you promised me," Jungkook fell to his knees too in front of Taehyung,
grabbing the elder's hands, "you promised me that you'd stay with me forever!
Why are you breaking that promise now? How could you? Taehyung! What am I
supposed to do without you? You told me that your heart beats for me? I'm
fucking sorry I didn't say anything. My heart fucking beats for you! If you're
going, then what is left for this heart?" Jungkook pounded his chest, leaning
into Taehyung when he pulled the younger in.
 
"Jungkook-ah, you need to live. I want you to live."
 
Those words sounded so familiar.
 
"Taehyung-ah... I love you... please don't leave me alone. I don't want to be
alone anymore. Please... I'm begging you," Jungkook gulped, trying his best to
swallow his hiccups so that Taehyung could hear him right. He wanted to be
heard properly so that nobody did anything different from what he said.
 
"I'm so, so sorry, Jungkook-ah. You need to hurry and go."
 
"What about you? What am I supposed to do without you? You expect me to go
without you by my side? Taehyung, I can't leave without you. Why are you like
this?"
 
"Jungkook-ah, I will always be with you," Taehyung pressed a hand against
Jungkook's heart, "right here."
 
"Right in my fucking heart, mind, legs, whatever isn't enough! I need you! The
alive you! The full you! You think I can play myself like this? Taehyung, a
life without you is no life at all. Please! Hear me please! Don't die!
Taehyung, don't die! I don't want you to die! Stay with me until the end of
time, Taehyung. Hyung!"
 
"We got 5 minutes on the clock before it detonates," Hoseok wiped away a tear
from the corner of his eye.
 
Taehyung looked to Jungkook, urgently bringing his hands to Jungkook's blood-
stained face. 
 
"Jungkookie, you need to go. Now. Come on."
 
"No! I don't want to fucking go anywhere without you! No!" Jungkook was brought
to his feet by two recruits. Taehyung planted his lips on Jungkook's trembling
lips, bidding the younger his last farewell. 
 
"Listen, listen to me, Jungkook! I love you. I will always love you. In our
next life, I will find you and return to you, got it? Please, just live and
remember. Remember me. Don't let my death turn into nothing. Remember me and
tell my story, baby. I love you so much."
 
"Taehyung! Jungkook thrashed in the arms of the recruits, crying out in some
sort of feeling that he couldn't even describe himself. "Taehyung! No! Let me
go! I can't leave him here! Taehyung, you can't fucking die! No! Let me go! I
said let me go! I am your general so let me go! My fucking God! Taehyung-ah!
Hyung, please don't do this. Don't die! Hyung! You can't let him go like this!
Please! Let him go instead! I want to die instead! Please!" Jungkook tried to
reach for a Taehyung who was drifting further and further away from his grasp. 
 
"Initiating double thrusters," one of the recruits said, pressing a button on
Jungkook's back. Jungkook was a bawling mess.
 
"It was an honor fighting for you," Namjoon and his line of generals saluted to
Jungkook. When Jungkook saw Taehyung salute, he couldn't but return it. Within
a few seconds, the rest of the members of BTS saw Jungkook rocket up into the
sky. Taehyung couldn't help but feel content. 
 
"My fellow generals, thank you for following me on this mission," Namjoon
smiled with teary eyes. 
 
"It was a pleasure to serve with you all," Jimin croaked, clinging to Yoongi's
arm. 
 
"Thank you, everyone, for your sacrifice. We have triumphed from such a battle,
thank you everyone," Namjoon spoke with words of gratitude towards the roaring
crowds. 
 
Taehyung's eyes followed the ceiling, knowing that Jungkook was probably far
away from the upcoming explosion. 
 
Thank you, Jeon Jungkook for completing my life. I love you.
 
Up in the sky, Jungkook had steered his jets his jets away as far as possible
from the bomb's vicinity. His tears had begun to dry from the rush of air
against his face, but new tears managed to make their way down his cheeks. When
he looked at The Generator, bits of debris and fire had springed up to the sky,
as the bomb had detonated. Jungkook couldn't help but think that Taehyung's
body was among the ashes. 
 
Taehyung, Jungkook's heart clenched. Taehyung was no longer a part of this
world, and this fact made Jungkook want to kamikaze into something. But, he was
told to live—that was Taehyung's final wish, after all. And, who was Jungkook
to ever deny Taehyung, the very Taehyung who complained about losing when he
had always won, the very Taehyung who had stolen the heart of an emotional mess
named Jeon Jungkook, the very Taehyung who Jungkook called home, the very
Taehyung who would sacrifice his own life for Jungkook. 
 
If that wasn't love, then Jungkook didn't know what was. 
 
Jungkook looked down at the remains of The Generator, feeling his heart plumett
into a dark abyss of loss and loneliness. Here I am again: cold, alone, hungry,
and without Taehyung. But, here I am again: braver, stronger, and determined
because of Taehyung.
 
"I'm sorry, Taehyung," Jungkook managed to smile, even though it was a really
shitty one, "I'm sorry for everything and thank you. I will live and remember
you. I will live for you, for us. I will love you so please, wait for me and
promise that you'll find me in our next life. I will miss you, hyung."
 
                                      +++
 
"Jungkook-ah!" Taehyung bounced over to Jungkook.
 
"What?"
 
"If we were to ever walk an endless universe, cross an ocean full of stars, and
bathe in a shower of meteors, what do we do after that?"
 
"You're really stupid and corny," Jungkook rolled his eyes.
 
"Just answer the question!"
 
"I don't know..." Jungkook shrugged, "but whatever it is, we'll do it
together."
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