Mae POV, Flashback-

It happened so fast.

"Y/N, do I really have to tell you again?" I plopped myself down next to her on the couch, reaching over to snag her phone. "You've really gotta stop watching that show. I find you crying all the time!"

Her pretty face twisted into a frown, tears forming on her lashes. "Mae, Teddy was about to propose to her!" She threw an arm over her face and wailed dramatically, "I can't believe you've done this!"

There was a second where she peeked at me, and we both burst into laughter. "Oh, Y/N, really? Another American meme? What would we do without you, huh?" I giggled, turning her device off and handing it back.

She took it back happily and tucked it away before sticking her tongue out at me. "You'd wither away into nothing, or fall into an endless void of sorrow you could never escape from. Be glad I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."

I tapped her cheek lightly, smiling. "That's right, you and your American romance obsession aren't allowed to leave."

She huffed. "It's not an obsession, Mae. I just enjoy them!"

We never saw it coming.

My eyebrow quirked up. "And why is that, anyway? For as long as I've known you, you've been watching one after another whenever you found the time."

The question was innocent and asked in a lighthearted tone, but something about it struck a nerve. Y/N froze-it was just for a second, but it didn't go unnoticed. "No reason. They're just good."

The look in her eyes caught me off guard. Obviously there was a connection that I didn't know about here.

"Y/N...?" I started, feeling uneasy. "I- are you okay?"

Y/N sighed and gave a smile, getting to her feet. "Just tired, Mae. Come on, let's grab something from the kitchen before Kyong forces us to himself."

I found myself blushing shyly at the mere mention of my friend's older brother. He had started to change recently, away from the awkward, nerdy guy I had met and more into... a strong young man.

"MAE, COME ON!"

I hopped up with a yelp and followed after her. "Yeesh, alright, Y/N! I'm coming!"

We were just laughing together, hanging out while the rest of our group talked by one of the room's corners. It was a normal day. And suddenly...

The lights abruptly shut off.

There were startled shouts from Y/N, Jin, Soo, and Ae-Cha, but they quickly morphed into anxious laughter. "Come on, Kyong," Y/N called, "Turn those back on!"

Kyong's nervous voice came from somewhere behind me. "That wasn't me, guys."

My breath caught. Something was wrong. "Y/N, come here," I ordered softly, reaching out to where she had been just moments before. My arm waved through empty air, and panic spiked in my gut. "Y/N?" I choked out.

"I'm right here, Mae."

I edged forward. "Ok, just back up to m-"

A gunshot rang through the air, causing screams to erupt. I threw myself to where I had heard Y/N's voice, once again flailing as my hands failed to find purchase. Another gunshot was followed by blinding light in front of me, and I yelped as something heavy crashed into my back.

"Mae!" Y/N shouted, desperation in her voice as loud thumps echoed through the room, every few feet. I blinked wearily, groaning as the lights and noises continued to muddle my brain.

"Y/N," I started, struggling to stand as the weight seemed to roll off of me. "Where-" Another gunshot cut me off.

Followed by white hot pain in my calf.

I cried out, my body suddenly convulsing as my hands clawed at the ground, the muscles in my leg twitching.

"MAE!"

The lights continued to flicker at random. Another bang-this one accompanied by a ripping in my left hand, left me breathless on the floor, tears on my face as I shook. My lungs refused to cooperate, shock freezing them.

Ive been shot. Twice. I'm not sure why, but the revelation was funny to me. Maybe the severity of the situation was getting to my head, or perhaps the sudden lack of oxygen.

Strong arms wrapped around me, their owner not taking the time to be gentle with me as he hefted me over his burly shoulder. He muttered something to me in... Spanish? His tone was obviously supposed to be reassuring, but as darkness threatened to close over my head, I could feel nothing through the pain save for disgust. My leg felt like it was burning off. Had he shot me?

Tears dripped down my chin, and I reached up to rub them away as the man backed away to a wall. The tears suddenly turned red, and I realized with a dull glimmer that I'd used my left hand-which now had a hole in it.

Bile forced its way up my throat, along with a terrified scream that signaled my brain coming back-if only slightly-and I spat them both out. The man cursed. I ignored him, choking on sobs as I cradled my hand, my stomach constricting tightly as the man jostled me.

I have to get away.

My ears were ringing, but as I forced myself to accept reality, I caught yells and cries from my friends. Jin and Ae-Cha were to my left, Soo somewhere on my right, but I lost my sense of direction as the lights stayed off and the man started to run.

"Stop! Put her DOWN!"

My head whipped up, matted strands of my hair sticking to my cheeks with sweat, blood, and tears coating them. Kyong stood a few feet away, shaking, a trembling Y/N behind him. They both had definitely looked better before now, but to my ultimate relief they appeared relatively unharmed. "Drop her," Kyong repeated, a growl entering his voice as his eyes darkened further.

The man holding me sighed, shifting me so that I was laid across both of his shoulders. "No tengo tiempo para pesto," he muttered, clearly annoyed.

Kyong's expression shifted to rage, realizing that the man simply planed to flee. "You're not taking her, you bas-" His word changed into a yelp as another man-spindly limbs and angry eyes- barreled forward from the shadows and rammed himself into Kyong, muttering a string of what sounded like French curses before scooping Y/N roughly into his arms.

No. No.

Kyong roared, forcing himself to his feet in his sister's direction. My captor nodded with satisfaction, the motion sending nausea through me, and he whipped around to bolt to a door. "Be quick, mi amigo!"  he called back, the second English word registering in my brain. The door gets thrown open, revealing a hallway strewn with five or so security guards.

He's taking me away, I think, fear dropping through me. "Why?" I manage to choke out, rolling my head to look behind us. Kyong has wrestled the skinny man to the ground -who, at being obviously bested, growled and leapt away quickly- and he was now carrying Y/N bridal-style, his frantic pace leading him to a different exit as he dodged around bodies. I couldn't see any of the others.

The man holding me -I could now see that he was Hispanic and of a sturdy, stocky build- sighed almost sadly. "I can no say to you," he said, his Korean bumpy and off, but his message clear. "Be calm, and no hurt."

A cloud settled over my head as I watched Kyong hurry away, tears in his brown eyes. "You already shot me," I muttered, my own eyes stinging as Y/N's head turned towards me, her face filled with sorrow and terror. "What more do you want?"

And I lost eye contact with my best friend as the shadows crashed down on me, my wounded body going limp on the shoulders of my captor. The two doors closed.

This is bad...

YES I KNOW IT'S A FILLER CHAPTER I'M SORRY.

ANYWAY... THANK YOU GUYS SO SO SOOOO MUCH FOR 12K READS!!!!! THAT MEANS A CRAP TON TO ME!