"Try calling him again."

"Jungkook I'm trying!" I hold Jimin's phone to my ear while pacing around. "This is my 12th time calling but Taehyung's not picking up."

"Maybe his phone's on silent." Jimin reasons. I let out a throaty groan and sit on the airport floor with my back to the wall.

Hoseok tries to ease everyone, "Guys, calm down. I'm sure he's on his way."

"Bro, our flight's in two hours and it takes an hour and a half to get here." Jungkook whines. "What's taking him so long?"

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ 🌙

"Agh!" Taehyung knees Yoongi in the gut, but not long before Yoongi punches back and kicks Taehyung against the kitchen counter. He's about to strike again when Taehyung uses a near kitchen tray bowl to block it kicks him in the chest.

With the detective on his back, he climbs over him and punches repeatedly.

Blood spews from both of their lips while bleeding scratches graze their cheeks. Yoongi's teeth grit as he squeezes Taehyung's wrists and tries pushing him off.

"You're... *choke* gonna kill me when there's police on the way?! Haven't you killed enough people Kim?!"

He doesn't back down but instead, tosses one last hard punch.

"Who said anything about killing."

Running a hand through his hair, Taehyung drags the dazed detective towards one of the kitchen cabinets, stealing the handcuffs attached to his pants and hooking his wrist to it.

"Really? Handcuffing a cop?"

Ignoring the blood that trails from his nose, he exhales. "You're not exactly leaving me much of a choice."

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ 🌙
—LILO'S POV—

I trap my nails nervously between my teeth, my mind running so many laps I'm convinced it'll burn out. Taehyung's not here yet and I'm fucking worried. Something bad happened. I just know it.

Not bearing the wait anymore, I stand up and face the others. "I'm going back for him."

"Lilo no." Hoseok says sternly. "That's a bad idea, our flight is soon."

"Well we've been here for hours and he hasn't even dropped a text! He could be in trouble at the house. I'm going back."

"You can't even drive."

"I'll catch a cab, they're everywhere around here."

"You sure you wanna do that?" Winter asks calmly with folded arms. My nod is eager. I think they can sense the desperation in my face and tone, because they all exchange looks before nodding also.

"Alright, look for Taehyung and keep Jimin's phone on you at all times. He could call back. We'll wait here in case he returns."

It doesn't take me long to nod in agreement and sprint back to the airport entrance alone. As soon as I get outside, I wave out an arm before a taxi swiftly pulls up beside me.

"Where will it be, Miss?"

"Robinwood Grove, please."

Just as I'm about to shut the door behind me, a hand quickly pulls the handle on the other side. "Wait!"

My eyebrows shoot up at the sight of Jimin crouching into the car beside me before the car starts moving.

"Jimin?! What are you doing here?"

"Coming with you." He smiles. "What friend would I be if I let you go out alone?"

"...Thanks." The smile on my lips is relieved, yet shy. Although he and Taehyung have made up, Jimin and I haven't really spoken since what went down in the kitchen.

There's this lengthy silence where Jimin's lips rub together anxiously, as if wanting to say something. Then finally—

"Lilo, I'm really sorry."

My eyebrows crease. "Why—"

"You don't need to pretend. I'm sorry for my meltdown the other day. I put blame on you and Taehyung forTeddy's death which wasn't fair. I just... Couldn't think straight after hearing that news. It was like my sanity was rotting. All I wanted to do was cry, then suddenly it was like I couldn't breathe..." He faces forward with a distancing gaze.

"I thought I had nothing left when in reality you guys were there trying to help. I still feel that way sometimes but... After hearing Chrys was in hospital, that could've been any one of you and I would've felt horrible. I hope you can forgive me."

"Jimin..." I smile with slanted brows. My hand cups his face before I dive in for a hug.

"I was never mad at you, family help each other go through shit like this. No matter how hard you try to get rid of us, none of us are budging." I laugh as we pull apart, earning his signature toothy grin with apple cheeks.

"Now that that's cleared, let's try calling Taehyung some more. Let's pray he answers."

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ 🌙

Yoongi watches through squinty blurred vision while Taehyung grabs some bandage wrap from the first aid kit and sits on the floor opposite him, one knee up and the other elongated. Instead of fleeing the house, Taehyung rests his back against the couch and hisses whilst bandaging his blood-ridden knuckles.

Yoongi's eyes trace him up and down. "...You know the cops will be here in five minutes, right?"

"Yep." He doesn't stop.

Yoongi scoffs amusingly. "You're insane, you know that?"

"Yep."

"I don't think you understand what's happening. Five minutes, and you'll be heading to jail. Once you're found, Lilo will surely come back for you and before you know it you're both serving sentences."

Taehyung glances at him momentarily with a blank expression, then resumes bandaging the bone.

"Officer, when's the last time you've been in love?"

"...What?"

"A guy or girl, whichever. You've been in love before right?"

The detective gives a long glare before eventually lowering his eyebrows.

"No."

"Well, when you do find that somebody," He hisses accidentally, "You'll do some crazy shit for that person that you might not even wanna do. I didn't want to do this. Any of this. I wasn't the bad guy, but I won't hesitate to be one if it means protecting Lilo. You're not taking her again... And I'll stay here with the cops if it buys her time to escape."

After nearly a minute of silently staring, Yoongi slumps his head back against the cabinet.

"You two really are something else." He sighs. "Just go."

"Huh?"

"The airport. Go, I'll hold the cops off. There's no point in chasing you kids anymore. You'll just keep protecting each other and having me run up and down." His eyes shut lazily. "I'm tired already."

Astonishment is all that reads Taehyung's face. Unsurely, he gets up and retrieves everybody's luggage, fitting it into the car after hurrying outside and driving off.

Yellow lights travel up his face when he speeds through a tunnel and the car is devoured by darkness. His sleeves are rolled, and wrist meets his lip to smear the blood seeping from it while passing wind tassels with his hair. With one hand on the wheel and his car overtaking others, he opens his phone to 21 missed calls from Jimin, knowing they were probably from Lilo.

He dials back three times but nobody picks up...

His gaze bounces between the road and phone in confusion.

"Why aren't they picking up... Did they board early?"

He tries again, but to no avail so instead he calls Hoseok who picks up instantly.

"Dude, where were you?! We were calling you over and over, our plane's in less than two hours!"

"I had a little spar with Min," His eyes trail down the blood dyeing his shirt, "But he's taken care of. How's everyone else doing?"

"Well....."

"Hoseok."

"Don't get mad, but... Lilo and Jimin went looking for you."

As expected, he squeezes the steering wheel and shouts into the phone. "What?! How long ago?!"

"Not too long. You weren't picking up so they caught a cab back to the house to find you."

"And you let them?!" Taehyung lets out a steamy exhale and kisses his teeth before looking around in thought.

"Alright, they're not answering so I'm gonna track Jimin's phone until it leads me somewhere. I'll tell you when I find something."

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ 🌧
—30 MINUTES AGO—
[ Play audio ]

As Jimin and I patiently sit in the cab, the raindrops pelting at our windows grow heavier and heavier. My eyes can't help but wonder the mistiness that now melts into the sky along with smoggy clouds.

"Wow, it's really pouring out there, huh?" Jimin asks.

"Yeah, I should've brought an umbrella. We'll pick up a couple when we get home."

But instead of turning right onto the freeway, the driver takes a casual left.

"Oh uh, sorry but I think you took a wrong turn just there." I tell the driver.

"No... This is the right way."

His tone is disturbingly calm, my eyebrows can't help but lower. This isn't the way home...

As if on instinct, Jimin's eyes and mine slowly engage before he shakes his head and shrugs.

"Something's-off-right?" I mouth.

"I-think-so."

My eyes evidently but briefly shift to the door handle beside me. Jimin catches on quickly, nodding and scooting towards his door from my proposal.

Our hands ever so slowly reach for each handle while I silently count down...

"—Hey!" The driver yells when Jimin and I both dive out.

My cheek scrapes the concrete painfully where a graze marks my skin while my clothes soak up a puddle. I hear Jimin's pain-filled grunt and immediatly run over to see him painfully trying lift himself from the ground.

The fall ripped his cast completely, making him struggle to hold his broken arm in place at the same time as standing.

"Jimin!" I help him up while he holds his arm in place. The taxi stops just yards away at the sound of loudly screeching brakes.

"W-we need to go, now!"

With heavy breath, we squeeze through the gap of a bush that lays by the roadside, and dash through the rainy streets that follow.

Meanwhile, the taxi driver steps out of the car in a long coat on and gloves, cocking the gun from his lap and following our trail.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧⛈
—AUTHOR'S POV—

"Did you find them?!" Hoseok asks Taehyung, running through the airport parking lot with a jacket held over his head while Winkook wait inside.

Taehyung doesn't stop to talk nor shelter himself from the scorching rain, but instead, unloads the boot quickly and rolls him the luggage. "No, but I tracked Jimin's phone and it says they stopped off in the middle of the road somewhere three miles from here."

"When was that??"

"30 minutes ago. Here." He throws down the final suitcase, shuts the boots and gets back in the car. "If we don't make it back, you three get on the plane without us."

"Wait—!"

But he's already speeding off dangerously, leaving Hoseok to look down at the bags through the curtain of rain and sigh.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧⛈
—LILO'S POV—

"Shit shit shit shit!" With my arms holding Jimin for support, we run across the wide road and bear the loud honks of cars that nearly run us over.

Jimin and I can barely see what with our hair drenches over our eyes, not to mention the loud roars of thunder tumbling to distract us.

"Shit... He's got a gun Lilo." Jimin pants. I look behind me for a split second to see the driver calmly following us in the distance with a pistol in his grip.

"You can't run far Lilo Hanson!"

My eyes shakily bounce around the street in search of any possible place we could hide , but most of the stores are shut except for one empty convenience store. I immediate grit my teeth and run towards it.

*Dingaling!*

We practically stumble through the shop door when the store clerk flinches from behind the counter, dropping the newspaper he was reading.

Jimin collapses onto the floor and leans against the counter while I shut the door desperately.

"Is there any way to lock this?!"

"Hey now wait a minute! Who are you kids and why—"

"THERE'S A LUNATIC CHASING US WITH A GUN NOW IS THERE ANY WAY TO LOCK THIS FUCKING DOOR?!"

Startled by my tone, the older man quickly fishes out his keys and locks it before dimming the store lights.

I hurry to kneel beside Jimin who rocks on the floor with his arm held close and hisses with teary eyes.

"Crap..." My fingers trace his grazed cheek. I spot a scarf on one of the shelves and rip it from it's packaging before using it as a cast for his arm.

"His face is hurt, do you have any bandages?"

"I'll look in the back." The clerk scurries off. Jimin hisses and pushes me gently, "It's okay—"

"None of this is okay!! There's a fucking hitman chasing us with a gun, we're trapped in a convenience store, our flight is in twenty minutes AND YOUR PHONE'S IN THE TAXI!"

"Yeah... This is pretty bad." He jeers, "...Do you think he's gone?"

His eyes motion outside. The windows are plastered with posters so we can't see much out there. "I have no idea."

—AUTHOR'S POV—

Instead of following them, the driver waits at the other side of the street with his hands in his pockets, staring at the store patiently.

Finally, Jaebum hops out of a car and joins him in a shirt that's tucked into fitted pants and rolled sleeves.

"They're in there, right?"

"Yes sir."

"And you're sure that's Kim and his girl in there?"

"Yeah, I told you. A guy and girl jumped in my taxi, I'm certain it's them."

The grin on Jaebum's face is his widest yet, ecstatic to finally have Taehyung in his clutches.

"Good work. That store has a backdoor, I'll need to you pop in and take care of the clerk for me. Once that's done, we'll end these two once and for all..."

He shows the goon a bottle, flame rag and lighter. "...Then sit back to enjoy the show."

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧⛈
—LILO'S POV—

"And done." I finally tie the scarf into a cast around Jimin's neck successfully. "That was not as easy as it looks."

"Thanks. I think we managed to lose him, otherwise he would've come in here by now right?"

"Yeah, maybe... Hey, where did that store clerk go with the bandages?"

Jimin's eyes motion to the back slowly. "Maybe he's still looking for them."

"Hm... I'm gonna check." I get up.

There's a short corridor on the other side of the store that gets darker the further I walk into it...

But once I reach the fire exit, I look down and shoot my hand over my mouth with a gasp. My breath hitches before trembling and I stumble back.

The store clerk lays dead on the floor with a snapped neck and blood pooled around him, the keys no longer on his pants.

".....JiiiimMMIINNNN!" I run back.

"What what what?!!"

"He's dead..."

"What?"

"T-the store clerk. H-he's dead t-t-t-the store clerk is fucking dead! We've got to get out of here NOW!"

Just then, a brick is thrown violently through the convenience store window to create the hole for a bottle to follow. The bottle has a lit rag in it, and as soon as it crashes with the floor a wild streak of flames begin to spawn.

"NO!"

"SHIT!" Jimin springs up. We both back up against the wall as the fire spreads in seconds. The cool-toned hue of the room suddenly transforms into a scorching red and orange, shadows of flames dancing along the walls while the air grows intoxicatingly thick and stuffy.

"What now?!"

"...The fire exit!!" I yell. Our feet scurry away from the heated storefront. After dragging the store clerk's body out of the way, I push against the door aggressively but it's completely sealed.

"It's fucking locked!!" The winds of fire roar over my screams.

I back up and begin ramming into the door with my shoulder. Loud and painful groans shoot from my mouth while Jimin watches with hopping feet and his eyes swinging back and forth between me and the spreading fire.

"C-come on Lilo! Push harder!"

"I'm trying!!!!" My frequent screams now come out as cries. Tears completely paint my cheeks as my teeth gritter harder than ever and I'm kicking the door repeatedly.

"WHY. WON'T. YOU. OPEN. PLEASE. JUST OPEN... Please..."

My rams and kicks start to get sloppy. I can already feel the heat growing close, and though I try to avoid looking into the main store, my eyes deceive me when I witness the room being consumed by fire from floor to roof. Phoenix's practically birth and soaring all over the walls while aisle shelves fall and knock each other over.

"Please God, don't let us die..." Jimin's wet face scrunches with his neck craned back. "Forget all that stuff I said before, I didn't mean it. I don't want to die yet..."

"We're— Uff! Not— Agh! Gonna die!" I back up and charge into the door, falling to the floor in another failed attempt and letting out chalky coughs.

"You know why? Because I know Taehyung will NEVER let me die this way! *Cough!* And neither would Teddy for you! We're getting out of this Jimin!"

Although my body is weak and swaying light-headedly, Jimin gives me a desperate nod and brief smile before coughing hysterically over his knees. The smoke has gotten so dense, it's hard to even see each other.

I look at the fire reaching us while Jimin chokes on his own coughs, and run towards the door to ram into it again—

"AHH!!!"

I leap away from the door when something sharp smashes into the wood and creates a hole.

"BACK UP!" Taehyung shouts from the other side.

I can't tell if I'm hallucinating from the fumes of smoke, or if I'm really hearing his voice right now. My shirt covers my mouth as I slowly fall onto the floor to meet Jimin's frail and weak body.

Swing by swing, the door smashes open by the pickaxe until finally there's a large enough hole. I can barely make out the blurry sight of hands grabbing and pulling us out one at a time.

Although my eyes are shut, my legs wobble at a fast pace as I'm somehow running with hands clutching my arm. Instead of toxic smoke, I'm inhaling the cool night's air and dampness of rain while the pores of my skin feel like a melting iceberg.

My legs give out when we stop. I abruptly fall onto my butt and choke into the wet conrete alongside Jimin.

"You're okay, let it out."

"Here, give her this!" Winter tosses a cool blanket to protect me from the rain. It's then that I pry my stinging lids open to see everyone here. Taehyung, Hoseok, Jungkook and Winter, all here. I would burst out into tears of joy if I wasn't choking.

As soon as Taehyung's face clears in my sight, I throw my arms around him and cry loudly.

"It's okay, I'm here..."

"You're here... O-oh my God I can't believe you're here. We almost DIED Tae how on earth did...... What happened to you?" I suddenly pull back to cringe. His clothes are all bloody.

He looks down and shakes his head, "Not important."

"How did any of this happen?" Jungkook soothes Jimin back.

"Jaebum." Taehyung scowls. "He's around here somewhere."

"I've already called the fire brigade and ambulance. They'll be here soon." Hoseok assures. We all turn around and gaze at the convenience store building being engulfed in flames, it's once neon sign collapsing loudly into rubble.

I break focus from the building to catch Taehyung staring at me guiltily.

"Tae...?"

"Don't get mad."

"Tae, don't do anything stupid."

"I'm going after Jaebum. I know he's nearby, I can't just let him get away this time."

"No! Just stay here with us until an ambulance arrives. I can't take any more tonight... Please Tae..."

With his hand cupping my face, he brushes our lips in a smooth and gentle kiss.

"Sorry Li."

Then he runs off.

I seemingly just watch his distancing silhouette with a numb gaze, making Hoseok hold my shoulder. "Lilo don't freak out. He's Taehyung, he'll be fine."

I try to let his words reassure me, but I can't. Look at what happened to Teddy... And Bogum. I can't get those images out of my head. Anyone who gets too close to that man ends up dead.

I let seconds of blankly staring pass before suddenly springing up and running in the same direction Taehyung went, leaving our shelter and entering the thundery rainstorm.

"LILO!" The others call.

Jungkook steps forward to follow me until Hoseok pulls him back. "Don't. They know what they're doing. They'll be okay."

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧⛈

I saw him run up the stairs of a motel rooftop two streets behind. It's hard not to trip over my feet as I desperately run up the dark and rusty staircase before finally, reaching the rooftop.

Under blankets of rain, Taehyung stands opposite Jaebum and his goon at a distance.

"Finally..." Jaebum wears a calm smirk on his face but ends up laughing like a maniac. "Finally! After YEARS of cat and mouse! I've been waiting a long time for this Kim! I hated you to begin with, but taking my father?! You signed yourself up for hell. Following me up here was your worst mistake."

Taehyung shakes his head in disgust. "No. I'm glad I followed you up here, because I've been waiting a long time for this too Jaebum. I've been soft for way too long, but killing Teddy, hurting Chrys and now setting the fire... You've crossed the line. No more games, no more meaningless death." Taehyung rolls up his sleeves.

"An eye for an eye!" Jaebum's arms spread with laughter. "That's how it works! You take my dad, I take you and EVERYONE you love! This is the night you die— One of us IS going to die TONIGHT!"

"You're insane..." I shiver from behind Taehyung, making my presence known. "E-every time you speak you're just becoming crazier and more obsessed! Why can't you just leave us alone?!"

"You." His glare shifts my way, making me step back as he strolls closer.

"Why are you so hard to kill, hm? I kidnap you countlessly, I trap you in fire... You're like a roach that can't seem to— Agh!"

"Back the fuck away from her." Taehyung tosses a punch that sends him down.

Instantly, Jaebum's goon charges at Taehyung, throwing a punch with his pistol in his other hand. The two start fighting on the floor while evading the gun's nozzle.

"Tae!"

While they're busy, Jaebum raises from the wet roof with an almost satanic grin, as his eyes peer into mine through his dark and drilling bangs.

With parted lips, I try running away but he's quick to grab a fist full of my hair and yank me back. I let out a groan when my back crashes uncomfortably onto the concrete before Jaebum's hand wraps my throat.

My nails claw at his face and fingers, "G-Get off me!"

"Tsk tsk tsk... No manners whatsoever." He retracts his hand to smack me hard. All I can hear in the background is Taehyung's grunts, punches and thuds, as well as misfired rounds from the gun and thunder.

"You see this Kim? You see what happens to the people you love?!" He stands up to kick me in my side, making me roll onto my back again with a grunt.

"I'm going to kill your girl right in front of you so you know I felt!"

He kicks me again and I squeal.

"Stop!" He calls out.

"And then I'm going to kill YOU!" He reels his foot back to kick me once more, "You'll suffer at the sight of her corpse, and then you'll feel sorry you ever—!"

"I'M PREGNANT!!"

Before Jaebum can kick me again, I scream the words loud and clear, tears blending with the rain pooling down my cheeks.

It's like the rooftop has completely frozen in time. Jaebum pauses to look at me with bulged eyes, while Taehyung stares at me with even wider eyes.

...I never imagined it to go like this. Screaming on a rooftop and getting beaten, while I watch the love of my life fight for his life with my knees deep in puddles and skin ash-ridden from a fire.

This wasn't how I was supposed to tell him, but the pain pulsing through my stomach... I couldn't keep it hidden anymore.

With a hand on my stomach, I weep loudly. "I-I'm pregnant, so... do what you want but please... Don't kick me there. Don't... It fucking hurts..."

The three men remain completely frozen when Jaebum crouches on one knee.

"You're pregnant? Kim Taehyung... is having a baby..."

I just watch him in confusion with gritted teeth. He says the words as if he couldn't believe it, repeating them in his head for closure. After looking at the floor, he meets my eyes again.

"Ah... You shouldn't have told me that."

"W-what?"

"You see, Taehyung is the last and only Kim left in his entire bloodline of a business. With him gone, there's no one left to stand against me. So now this." He cocks his head at my stomach with a tongue click. I look at it now with worry as he stands up. "Is going to be problem."

Time seems to play out in slow motion when he suddenly swings his leg back and I let out a scream, his foot colliding with my stomach a final time.

"NO!"

Not even a full second later, there's a loud bang before Taehyung punches Jaebum to the ground with an angry scream and tackles him aggressively. He shot Jaebum's goon in the face.

"I don't mind going through the nightmares again..."

*Punch!*

"Because I'm NOT letting you leave this one alive!"

*Punch!*

While the two men pound each other mercilessly, I lay on the floor and continue to sob loudly with a hand over my stomach, my forehead rolling on the concrete. My eyes squint open only slightly to watch the fight play out.

"You've kidnapped my girlfriend... THRICE! *thud!* You took Bogum! *punch!* You took Teddy!" *splat!*

"—You will NOT take my child!!!"

"Uff!" Blood shoots from Jaebum's nose. He squeezes Taehyung's wrist and knees him in the stomach before climbing over him and returning the favour. His veiny hands wrap around Taehyung's neck and squeeze tight.

"Stop!" I cry out.

Lightning splashes brighter than it has all night. Their faces are so close their noses almost touch, teeth gritting as Jaebum traps Taehyung's body under his and strangles him with all his strength.

*.....BANG!*

Time stops when both men freeze to look at me...

And notice me aiming the pistol at them with shaky hands.

The tremble in my grip mixed with the wet hair draping over my face... I-I can't tell who I shot.

Slowly, they're eyes peer into each other.

There's this crippling silence before they simultaneously look down to notice the blood splotch spreading across Jaebum's chest.

He looks back at Taehyung and scoffs the weakest grin through blood-stained teeth.

"Well played Kim... You spend time with your girl... *cough cough*...And I'll spend time with mine."

His collar that's in Taehyung's grip gradually lowers until Jaebum collapses on top of him with blank, dead eyes.

My instant reaction is to drop the gun with rattling hands and collapse in a pool of my own tears and rain. Taehyung catches me as soon as my knees meet the ground with his arms wrapped around me.

"Li baby it's okay, it's over."

"Taehyung... I-I k-killed somebody... Oh my God....."

"Don't look at it. We'll get you to a hospital, come on."

I allow him to pull me up with a hand around my waist, but as soon as we turn around, a squad of about ten police officers stands with their guns aimed at us.

"Don't move!"

"Look, we took care of JB but she needs a hospital—"

"I said don't move!!"

It's then that our eyebrows weave. We follow the police officers gaze to the two corpses lying behind us... The cops think we set the fire, that we're at fault for everything.

"Are you fucking serious?!" Taehyung yells, "This wasn't us!"

"You're wanted criminals. We're going to need you both to come with us."

I let out another painful whine with a hand on my stomach.

"Do you not see this?! Look, you can take me in but p-please just, get her to the hospital first." Taehyung slowly separates from me with surrendered hands.

The police give each other a raised brow before half of them tackle Taehyung roughly and handcuff him with his cheek to the ground, the other half pulling me away.

"No! Leave him alone! You can't take him!" I wail desperately. My voice breaks at the sight of Taehyung's teeth clenching.

"Li, it's okay. *agh...* Make sure they get you two to the hospital safe." He smiles painfully.

I don't even get the chance to catch my breath before the police are harshly pulling me away from the rooftop, Taehyung's wet and bloody form shrinking in the crown of officers arresting him.