CW: Torture

"As much as I think your stance is cute, a fly could knock you over," Jimin laughed from the other side of the punching bag. Defeated, Taehyung dropped his fists with a huff,

"I was trained to hang off a pole, not punch people,"

He'd been with Jimin no longer than twenty minutes but already they were conversing casually. While Jimin held himself with an air of authority, there was no superiority. He looked at Taehyung as an equal, something very few people did.

"That means you have strength,"

Taehyung wasn't convinced. He knew he was weak and pathetic, his time with Jeongguk had proved that. "Get on the ground," Jimin ordered, Taehyung startled and scrambled to obey getting down on all fours. "First, breathe. I'm not going to hurt you," it was hard not to trust Jimin and so Taehyung felt his shoulders sag. "I want you to do a standard plank, I'll time you,"

They were silent as Taehyung held the position and lost track of the seconds in his head until Jimin began to clap. "Three minutes and you barely struggled. Now get up and don't tell me you're weak again,"

Taehyung was more cooperative after the demonstration; he'd never had such a blunt display of his strength and it fuelled something within him. Whether or not he enjoyed punching the bag was another story but the continued praise from Jimin settled in his soul. Eventually, they moved away from the bag and into the centre of the spacious room where a large black mat lay. Tinted windows lined the back wall, teasing Taehyung with such a thin barrier between himself and the outside world. The pale grey walls and multiple mirrors that curved up walls and along the ceiling made the stripper feel small and insignificant, there was nowhere to hide in that room but only a short distance away laid a much more exciting realm.

Jimin tried to teach him some self-defence manoeuvres - ones that focused on evasion and escape rather than overpowering his opponent - though it was difficult without touching Taehyung.

"You can touch me," the words were tumbling out of Taehyung's mouth before he could even process them. It was a shock to both but Jimin was the first to recover, he approached Taehyung carefully until his hands landed on the stripper's arms and moved them into the correct position. The feeling was strange, he couldn't remember the last time someone's touch had been completely platonic.

Taehyung decided he liked it.

He'd seen friends hugging and holding each other in the media he consumed since moving into the penthouse but at no point did he realise just how comforting it could be. Something warm to hold onto yet also something that came with no pressure, something without hidden intentions. Jimin cared about him in some way or another, differing from Seokjin's almost paternal presence and Namjoon's clinical one. A presence Taehyung was able to fully relax into and discover himself, after living the majority of his life fearing everyone around him, Taehyung forgot who he could be when at least somewhat safe.

When Jimin smiled and his plump lips pulled back gently, Taehyung smiled back. When Jimin ruffled his hair, Taehyung leaned into the gesture like a cat asking for more. From then on it became a habit for Jimin to praise him with head pats, laughing whenever Taehyung hummed as if purring at the gesture.

"Please don't doubt yourself, V. You're stronger than you think and not just in your body, up here too," Jimin briefly pauses the most recent head pat to softly tap Taehyung's temple with his first two fingers. "Jeongguk," Taehyung tenses slightly at the name, he enjoyed not thinking about the heir for a little while, "keeps you locked up here but I think you'd survive outside just fine,"

Jimin winked and promptly moved to the next phase of the training session (the dreaded treadmill) as if the words weren't significant. However, they meant everything to Taehyung. Those words meant that freedom would be worthwhile. He smiled brightly and bounced over to where Jimin was waiting for him.

~

The bathroom was a respectable size, five wet rooms (three to the left and two to the right) each with a shower, toilet and sink were available. Taehyung picked the closest on his left and found it bone dry thankfully, he went to the toilet hurriedly and sat down.

Without really thinking about it, Taehyung's eyes slipped to the mirror in front of him. It was strategically placed so you couldn't see yourself when using the toilet but still at perfect height when standing. He spied the unbarred window behind him, an unprecedented thought flittered through his mind. He'd need to climb onto the toilet seat in order to reach it and even then, only when standing on tiptoe. It was slim and would only just let his body wiggle through but it was enough, it was his chance for freedom and he was suddenly determined to take it.

The stripper had nothing but the clothes on his back and a water bottle he'd brought to refill. The idea to escape completely unexpected but the opportunity was too tempting to resist. When would he ever be unattended on the bottom floor again? Sadly, he must abandon the budding friendship with Jimin to leave and risk getting the innocent man into danger with his actions. He wished he could thank Jimin for his earlier words, maybe without them he never would have entertained the idea of escape. It was only a momentary pause; Taehyung quickly shook his head to think more clearly. Jimin wasn't a friend despite the walls he broke down only minutes prior. Neither were Seokjin or Namjoon. Or Jeongguk.

Jeongguk's pleas from the night at his mother's house resurfaced, the pure desperation and loneliness reflected in those big eyes nearly made Taehyung reconsider.

But then he was climbing onto the toilet lid and reaching up to open the window. It was shockingly easy, with a simple latch and no audible alarm. His slim body slipped through the gap and crashed into a bush on the other side. Immediately his senses were swamped, cars speeding past, people walking and talking, dogs barking, birds chirping, children laughing, men yelling.

He'd never run so quickly, grateful for the trainers on his feet as he pounded them into the pavement with no destination in mind. The only thought was to get as far away as possible, everything else could be dealt with later.

~

Yoongi texted Jeongguk shortly before eight in the morning at which point Jeongguk had been angrily munching on a mouthful of rice. He'd barely slept, itching to have V dance to take the edge off as violent thoughts floated around his mind. He knew he should inform his father but he didn't want to turn up at the man's office with only a problem and no solution, Jeongguk didn't want to look weak and incompetent standing in front of the man he admired. Whining about their enemy but having no real proof or lead to follow as of yet. Today that was going to change, the text was simply a time and place but it was enough, Jeongguk knew Yoongi had done as asked and found him someone to knock about and hopefully get some answers.

~

Jeongguk cut the engine of the Maybach and took a moment to collect himself, brushing his hair back off his forehead, only for most of the strands to fall back down, he took a few breaths and looked himself in the eye with the rear-view mirror. When he walked into the looming grey warehouse in front of him, he needed to be all business and no play, no smiles or teasing Yoongi hyung, he would get in, get answers and get out again. There was no time for foolery and, to be frank, Jeongguk couldn't be bothered anyway, not when he finally had a victim to take all his frustrations out on.

A young boy, likely only a year younger than Jeongguk, was secured to a metal chair alone in the vast empty space. A single harsh floor light illuminated him; the boy was placed deliberately beneath a continuous drip from the ceiling. Every few seconds the light would catch the water drop falling through the air until it landed on the dark floppy mess of hair that obstructed Jeongguk's view of the victim's face.

The set-up screamed of Yoongi; the man always had a flair for the dramatics all the way down to his intricate knotwork. Jeongguk smirked. It was perfect. He knew Yoongi would be lurking somewhere in the building, ready to step in if the boy didn't fess up fast enough. As much as it bruised his ego to admit, nobody could deny that Yoongi was one of the most intimidating men in this business.

Jeongguk let his feet fall heavily as he approached, taking his time and watching as the boy's body began to tremble, his chest rising and falling rapidly. He knew what was coming. Jeongguk came to a stop toe to toe with the boy, pulling his head back by the hair to meet his eyes. Tears were falling down the boy's face and snot gathered around his nose, pitiful.

"You can make this easy for yourself," Jeongguk sneered, the boy whimpered, "answers my questions and I'll kill you quickly. If you give me good answers, I might even give your body to your family so they can bury you,"

A shiny silver blade was pulled from his pocket and the classy brown leather sheath removed. Jeongguk twisted it playfully in his hand admiring the singular red ruby in the pommel. Eventually, his fingers curled around the maroon, wooden handle and brought the dagger to hover over the boy's thigh.

"Who hired you?"

The boy sobbed but didn't speak.

That particular dagger had been passed down through Jeongguk's family for generations, given to him two years prior on his eighteenth birthday. It had drawn much blood and taken many lives, always perfectly maintained and cared for. A joy to handle in skilled hands.

The tip sliced through the boy's cheap jeans with ease, leaving a painful scratch below. The boy only hissed the scratch a mere warning.

"Who hired you?" Jeongguk repeated.

Again, the boy gave up nothing and so the tip of the blade came back down. This time slipping deeper into fragile skin.

This continued, Jeongguk unrelenting as he repeated his question over and over until the boy was screaming and writhing in pain. The cuts now deep gashes spreading the expanse of his thigh, though careful not to hit the femoral artery.

With a deep sigh, Jeongguk moved to the other leg and changed his question, this was taking longer than he wanted.

"Where were the drugs going?"

Surprisingly, the boy answered.

"I-I don't know, we... we uh didn't take them- didn't take them to the-the final destination,"

"Well then where did you take them?"

The boy looked up at Jeongguk with large pleading eyes. Jeongguk cut deep.

Footsteps came up behind them, quiet humming filling the room. Yoongi hummed a low droning tune that sounded completely unbothered by the scene before him.

Jeongguk cut again.

"Emerald Dragon Casino!" the boy screeched, almost falling backwards in his chair trying to get away from the pain. Jeongguk's jaw clenched, the casino belonged to Yong-ui Bul.

"Who hired you?"

After another particularly deep gash, the boy gasped out a name.

"Kim Doo-Hyun,"

Jeongguk didn't recognise the name but it was a start. He could see the boy had nothing else to give and decided to wrap things up. Slowly leaning down, he sliced the boy's Achilles. He then moved to the boy's side to avoid the blood when he sliced straight down the boy's inner thighs. The screams didn't even register in Jeongguk's ears as he cut the ropes and let the boy scramble out of the chair.

Jeongguk and Yoongi walked out of the building leaving the boy to bleed out as he tried desperately to escape the warehouse. Somebody would clean up later.

Just as he was about to climb back into the driver's seat, Jeongguk's phone rang. Surprised to see Jimin's name, he picked up immediately.

"Hyung? Why-"

"V's gone,"