Jimin rubs the back of her hand, his gaze on the night sky. "You keep looking at the sky," Ariel says as they walk, the others not paying attention to them. "Why?"

He chuckles, shaking his head. "When I was a kid, my parents got me all these astronomy books. I think it was their poor attempt to compensate for never paying attention to me. But that's besides the point, what I mean to say is they gave me all these books, so I guess I'm looking for constellations. Not sure which ones though. Any."

"Maybe you can find one of those astrological signs or whatever. Like Cancer or Libra."

"You know, I'm a Libra."

"Oh really?"

"Oh yeah, October 13th, 95'. Been on this Earth a long time, kiddo."

"Old."

"Come on, we were having a moment." Ariel chuckles, Jimin doing the same. Then, he glances down at her and squeezes her hand. "It's weird." She raises a brow, him tilting his head back and forth. "I mean, it's weird that someone so young went through the same thing I did. Neglectful, mafia parents. We didn't deserve it, but maybe that's why we click, right?"

She smiles. "We're lonely."

Although he desperately wants to disagree, he glances around at the ones in front of him. Taehyung, Y/n... Yoongi. He finds himself nodding before he can stop himself. "Yeah. Yeah, we are."

They continue down the path, this sidewalk actually inside the giant walls of the palace. Hoseok did good. Now they're near the back, but they're within the vicinity of the palace. How does Jimin know? Well, for starters, they're trapped by large brick walls. Not to mention the party music is getting louder each step they take. The vibrations tickle the soles of his shoes, his body trembling at the contact.

"Where will Madam be?" Taehyung asks, his bandages nearly invisible in the darkness of the sky.

"Not sure. That's the hardest part," Hoseok replies, keeping his hand near the jacket of his suit, where his pistol is hiding. Jimin is the same way, Yoongi mimicking their actions after he notices them. It brings an illness to Jimin's chest to see Yoongi still alive. Regardless, he doesn't act on it. Not for Yoongi's sake. For Ariel's.

"Hey old man, want to sing? Show the concert who's boss," Ariel says.

"Haha. Shoot me."

"Say less."

"Ariel, Jimin. Knock it off. We're almost at the venue," Y/n says, Jimin grunting but agreeing. "This way. What do we do now?"

Strange, Y/n's normally the one making the plans. "We have to find Madam, but how are we gonna do that?" Tae asks.

"If any of you suggest splitting up, I'm personally going to beat you all to death," Jimin says. No one answers, causing Jimin to scoff. "Okay geniuses, literally what plan could you possibly have that justifies splitting up when we're already outnumbered and have a blind guy and a little girl?"

"I'm not suggesting we split up, but if a situation arises where we need to, we have 6 people, 4 of which able-bodied. We should be ready in case we get separated," Y/n says.

"Wonderful, knowing my luck, I'll get stuck with Yoongi," Jimin mumbles. Ariel keeps his hand in hers, giving him a glance of sympathy he appreciates. "Let's just get this over with and find Madam."

That's exactly what they do, making it to the center where the venue has been completely trashed in favor of starting a rave. There's lights illuminating their faces, Jimin keeping Ariel close to him. "I've never seen so many people," she whispers, hyperventilating.

"Hey, shh, it's okay baby, it's okay. Just don't let go of me."

"There's so many. Jimin, I-I can't do this."

"Shh." He stops, kneeling in front of her and placing his hands on her shoulders. "Listen to me, you can do anything, yeah? You're the strongest girl I know. There's no one in this world stronger than you, Ari. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. If you could promise me one thing, can you promise me that?"

She sniffles, nodding, "I can... yeah, I can."

He hooks his baby pinky onto hers, smiling. "Pinky promise. It can't be broken. You break it, and your kneecaps are broken too, got it?"

He gives her a serious look, the girl laughing at him. "Fine, fine. Let's do it, old man."

Jimin stands and takes her hand, the others forming a protective box around them thanks to Y/n's command. She gives Jimin a nod, him nodding back despite the spike of ache inside his chest. His best friend, the woman he once loved. But she's dead to him now. Or he wants to think that after everything they've been through. 

He isn't sure what he feels anymore. It's a mixed bag of emotions. On one hand, he can understand her wanting Yoongi to tell Jimin instead of her telling him herself. Just like Hoseok. As much as Jimin hates to admit it, he probably would've taken it better if Yoongi himself told the secret. On the other hand, he got the impression she knew for a while. Maybe even first. And she just strolled around pretending she wasn't sleeping with the man who made Jimin's life... this.

"Let's make it through the crowd and to the other side. The inside of the palace might give us a lead. If the High Council is meeting, it's going to be indoors," Yoongi says, everyone agreeing.

Jimin stays in front of Ariel as they make their way across the courtyard, the concert lights highlighting their faces. The girl is shivering in her shoes, Jimin holding her hand while the others keep their box shape. Yoongi is way too close to Jimin for comfort, but he isn't in a position to protest right now.

More lights flicker by, the rave full of drunk people who keep crashing into them. "Ariel, honey!" he shouts over the music, "do not let go of my hand, got it?"

"That's the first thing you've ever said that I'm actually gonna listen to!"

Jimin decides not to reply, instead grunting and following Yoongi through the crowd. Yoongi pushes past them, acting like a shield to Jimin and Ariel. Deep down, Jimin appreciates it, but he won't let that show. Not now. 

Regardless of his thoughts, the pressure of other people getting smooshed against them is becoming too much to bear. Jimin doesn't have claustrophobia, but fucking hell, who wouldn't be terrified being this close to sweaty, drunk bastards?

When they finally make it out the other side, Jimin pulls Ariel off to the corner while Hoseok and Y/n help Taehyung recuperate from the intensity of it all. Hoseok's gently holding Taehyung's hand, brushing his disheveled hair out of his face for the boy. Jimin shifts and does the same for Ariel, kneeling in front of her.

"Are you hurt?" he asks. She shakes her head. "Scarred?"

"Always."

"Good, at least I know you'll never go to a party and make out with any boys."

"I thought men were disappointing?"

Jimin smirks, the girl widening her eyes. "I thought you said you don't listen to what I say?"

"Okay but that was funny, I listen to you when you're funny," she says with a huff.

"I'm always funny."

"No the fuck you're not." At Jimin's pout, Ariel sighs and shakes her head. "I'm not going to make out with any boys, they have cooties."

Jimin breaks out into an eye smile. "That's my girl," he says, ruffling her hair. He stands and takes her hand, them reuniting with the others. Yoongi observes Ariel, Jimin pulling her closer on instinct. The man frowns, their eyes locking for a moment. It's the longest moment in Jimin's life. "Where do we go now?"

"Inside, this way," Hoseok says, pointing.

Yoongi and Jimin keep their eyes on each other another couple beats, then, they follow Hoseok to the enormous doors that give Jimin more short rage than he already has. Despite this, no one makes fun of his height. Maybe because Jungkook isn't here.

Oh.

Jimin nearly freezes, but for sake of the mission, he doesn't. The pang that hits his heart at the thought of Jungkook not being here has his body trembling. He didn't particularly like Jungkook at first, but the man was more complicated than he seemed. Jimin understood the look in his eyes. The look of pain. It was an expression Jimin knew all too well. One he just felt, too.

"Do we actually have a plan as to how to find Madam? Are we just gonna knock on random doors or something?" Taehyung asks, hurrying to keep up with the others.

Hoseok halts them, holding up his fist. Tae walks into him, Y/n pulling the two apart before they go crashing to the ground. At Taehyung's curse, Hoseok speaks up. 

"I think I know where they are." 

The group remains quiet, awaiting Hoseok's next words. Instead of speaking, he points to a metal door hidden in the crevasses of the walls. Because the halls are coated in a milky tan shade, the metal is so out of place and a jarring color scheme. A basement. Probably sublevels of the palace used for tunnels and safe transportation of figures of importance. Smart that the mafia would be hiding under there.

The others don't disagree with Hoseok's silently made plan, the man checking the knob only for it to not budge. "Fuck, we need to find another way."

"No we don't," Tae says. "Just get me a bobby pin and I'll handle it." 

He takes out his knife, palming the door. Jimin agrees without hesitation, Ariel taking a pin out of her hair and handing it to him. He passes it to Taehyung, but the others still seem hesitant. Thankfully, Taehyung can't see their doubtful stares. Please, as if Taehyung wasn't raised to do this. Eyesight or not, he can still feel and hear.

He does struggle more than usual, but eventually, the door opens, Taehyung beaming as he hops up, Ariel taking the pin back. "See? All it takes is a little faith," Jimin says, harshly nudging Yoongi as he walks by.

The group travels down the creepy stairway, Ariel keeping her hand in Jimin's. "I don't want to do this anymore," she admits in a whisper.

"What, baby?"

"Any of it. I don't want to be here. I want my mom."

Jimin lets the others go ahead, holding Ariel on the stairs while they scout ahead. He keeps his hands on her shoulders, their eyes meeting. "I would give anything to be able to take you somewhere far away. As soon as this is over, I'm sitting my fat ass in a private jet, and you're going to be right next to me. We're going to be okay, we're going to get out of this alright. I promise." He hooks his pinky onto hers, refusing to so much as glance anywhere else. "You're safe with me, okay?"

"I know, old man," she says with a sniffle, hiding her tears.

He wipes her tears with his baby thumbs, her letting her head tilt down. "You don't have to hide your tears," he whispers, "they don't make you weak." She peeks back up, his heart cracking at her stained cheeks. Jimin continues to wipe her tears, Ariel allowing him. "And neither does fear."

"They don't?"

"It doesn't define you." He holds her hand again, motioning to her that they need to move. "But what you do after does."

She agrees with him, the pair shifting to the bottom of the basement. The others are waiting for them, Yoongi casting his worried stare on them. Jimin doesn't meet it. "This doesn't feel like a basement. It feels like a ground floor. It's way too furnished to be some forgotten basement or some shit like that," Y/n says.

"This place looks more techy than upstairs," Jimin replies, observing the way the gray walls mesh with the cyan LED lights built-in to the tips of the walls, right under the ceiling. The corridors themselves are wide enough to fit about four people walking side-by-side, and the height still gives Jimin anger issues. But before he can further notice the architecture, he's being dragged away by his group.

"I don't have a map, we need to keep our voices down," Hoseok whispers. No one disagrees. "There may be times where we're at an intersection and need to choose. If that happens, we'll split up temporarily to see what's at the end of each hall, then reconvene in the center. Never go out of eyesight, we're not risking it, got it?"

"On it, Jung," Y/n says, the others nodding their heads with her.

Taehyung sticks by Y/n, the woman helping him all the way. Jimin eyes Taehyung and his posture, the way he's stiff and holding onto Y/n for dear life. And that's when all his anger dissipates. There were many times throughout their friendship that Taehyung could've told Jimin about Yoongi. Several times, not just recently when they were stuck together. But Taehyung knew something else before even Jimin did.

Killing Yoongi won't get him anywhere.

He has every right to be mad, to be pissed beyond belief, but killing him? That won't solve anything. All it would solve is the rage he feels whenever he thinks back to that night that changed his life. Jimin can't bring himself to be mad at Taehyung. The man truly did try to protect him. Not to mention that with his blindness and losing Jungkook, he had more important things on his mind than something that happened 5 years ago.

Hoseok explained himself, and Jimin believed it. Hobi doesn't seem like a liar, just like Jungkook. They're the only two Jimin believes would always tell the truth. Well, them and Ariel. That kid is too honest for her own good sometimes. But he loves that about her anyway.

Y/n... is tough territory. He loves her deep down, and he knows that he already forgave her, but the hurt is still there. It still clings to his heart like a bite. It refuses to let go, sinking its teeth in deeper until a mark is made. That's how Jimin feels whenever he thinks about Y/n choosing to protect Yoongi rather than tell Jimin the truth. But, in a way, maybe he's glad she did. Otherwise, Yoongi would be dead.

Jimin casts his gaze towards Yoongi while the crew head down the seemingly endless halls. The man who authorized the death of his daughter. The man who caused Jimin this sorrow. There is no greater crime than killing a child, and Yoongi did it for power. Killing her was one thing, but doing it for such a selfish reason was another. It was a slap in the face, one Jimin felt every time he pondered it. Including now.

"This way, I hear voices," Hoseok mumbles, guiding them to the right side.

Taehyung has his knife out, Yoongi keeping his hand inside his jacket. Jimin's the same way. Meanwhile, Ariel has her grip on the pistol Jimin gave her, the one sticking out of the waistband of her pants. Y/n, poor girl, is trying to maneuver her romper without flashing them with her breasts. Regardless, Jimin finds a bit of a chuckle while watching her fiddle with the fabric.

"Don't waste time. Reinforce security at the gates," a female voice says, the others ducking behind the nearest wall. "And I want the table arranged with the finest champagne we have. This meeting must go flawlessly, do you understand?"

"Yes, Madam Willow," a male replies, most likely a security guard.

Jimin keeps Ariel behind him as the footsteps come closer. They come closer and closer... only for them to recede. They went in the opposite direction, it seems. Jimin isn't complaining. 

"That's a High Council member," Hoseok whispers, "isn't it?"

"I think so," Taehyung replies, keeping his voice as low as Hoseok's. "Seems oddly strange that people are hiding down here talking about meetings and they're not High Council."

"I agree," Y/n says, peeking down the hall they came from. "Let's go check it out."

"We should follow her. Assassinate her," Hoseok suggests. "Not to sound morbid, but this is how we get our jobs done. Take down the High Council."

"Not a bad plan," Jimin says. "You have a way to do that? She's with a security guard and heading to a meeting."

"Maybe we should, I don't know, shoot her?"

"Wonderful idea. I'm sure the High fucking Council never thought that someone might come after them with a gun. Wow. Genius. Brilliant. 148 IQ, Jung."

"Shut up, Park."

"Are you two friends, gay, or enemies?" Y/n asks, glaring at the two of them.

Jimin grins. "Yes."

"Come on," Taehyung says, pulling on Yoongi and Y/n. "We need to go before they get away. What are we going to do?"

"Let's do Hoseok's plan. He's gotten us this far, and I have no better ideas," Y/n replies, and the others follow her down the pathways.

Jimin doesn't want to admit how terrified he is. He swallows his nerves and forces them down, refusing to show it in front of the kid. Y/n is sweating, her hands clammy as she investigates the walls and grounds. Yoongi is watching their rear with Hoseok, Taehyung in front of them and strolling down at a gradual pace. Jimin isn't sure where to focus, so he reminds himself that he's here with Ariel, and everything gets better.

"We're close," Y/n whispers, motioning to up ahead.

Jimin listens, and he can faintly hear the chatter of people. Not many; maybe 3 or 4, but enough that it's a threat to their mission. So, he draws his pistol, Ariel doing the same. At his glance, she lowers it and nods in understanding. A silent understanding that she listens to him: she only shoots if absolutely necessary.

"I'll scout ahead. Hoseok, with me," Yoongi says, and they go, leaving Taehyung, Jimin, Y/n, and Ariel to wait.

As if reading Jimin's mind, Y/n turns to meet his gaze, her scooting a bit closer. "Jimin..." He stays as strong as he can, but even he can't help the burn of tears stinging his eyes. "I know we're hardly in the situation for it, but I want you to know how sorry I am. He told me he would tell you, that's the only reason why I didn't say anything. When I told you you're the most important person to me, I meant it. I care about you Jimin. I..."

"What?" he asks.

Their eyes lock, and suddenly, Jimin forgets the mission even existed in the first place. "I love you," she whispers, and every cell in his body threatens to leave him. Her pleading stare has his form twisting and convulsing, his eyebrows knitting together. Her face falls at his confusion, her leaning back on her heels. "And even if you hate me, I always will."

"No, no," he says, stepping forward. "I don't hate you. I could never hate you. There's not a day in my life where I've hated you, even when I said you were dead to me. You were right. I didn't mean it. Because the truth is, I love you too." She goes to take his hand, but he backs away. "But we're not... we're not there yet."

Although her posture cracks, her eyes shattering like glass, she still nods and respects his space. "Okay."

Yoongi and Hoseok whistle, the others getting the hint and rushing down until they meet their sides. "We're making a lot of progress. I can see some footprints. Faint, like little mud tracks, but that's it. You can tell they're rich when they're barely leaving footprints," Hoseok says.

They nod to Hoseok's words, their journey commencing once again. Jimin's mind is a mess, but what's new. He's attempting to stay focused as best he can, but there's only so much he can do. The next corridor is coming up, and he'll need to have all his attention on that.

Hoseok pulls them through the next turn only for there to be an intersection as they feared. One goes left, the other right. "Split off," Hoseok says, taking Y/n down the left side. Taehyung follows after them on instinct, leaving Jimin with... shit.

"Come on," Jimin mumbles, Yoongi following him and Ariel down the right side. Meet back in the center as fast as possible. Wow. This shit is getting old. Why is Jimin always left with Yoongi? "I want that pistol where I can see it."

To Jimin's surprise, Yoongi only frowns and obliges, keeping his pistol in Jimin's vision. "Jimin-"

"I don't want to hear shit."

"I was going to tell you."

"And that makes it better?"

"Maybe. I wanted to tell you myself, that's the only reason why the others didn't tell you. All of them can vouch for that. I said many times that I wanted to tell you, I just didn't know how for obvious fucking reasons. Please, hate me all you want, but don't hate them. Hoseok likes you, Tae adores you, and Y/n..."

"She loves me. I know, she told me. I've already forgiven all of them." Jimin pauses to peek around the corner, seeing nothing but another corridor laying ahead. He turns back, glaring at Yoongi. "But not you."

"Jimin..."

But Yoongi can't finish his words. It's time to go back, so Jimin steps away, going down the hall with Ariel by his side. Now it's Jimin's turn to be interrupted. This time, however, he isn't interrupted by something regular. No. He's interrupted by a God damn gunshot.

He grabs Ariel and holds her behind him, the gunshots sounding off on the other side of the hall. Jimin peeks up to see a squad of security guards armed with pistols running at them on both sides. Y/n's side and their side.

"Run!" Jimin yells, pushing Ariel forward.

She's quick to dart down the corner, Jimin right behind her and Yoongi following them both. There's an opening up ahead leading to yet another hall, Jimin catching up to Ariel. Yoongi shoots over his shoulder, Jimin panting the whole way to the edge. Then, Ariel screams, and his whole life flashes before his eyes.

His baby is grabbed by the hair and thrown back by an unseen security man who was waiting for them. Jimin draws his weapon and aims it, but the other man has his already pointed at Ariel's head. 

"J-Jimin," she says in a cry, the pistol she had on the ground in front of her. Jimin holds his breath, more gunshots going off behind them. They don't matter. Ariel does. And without thinking, he opens his mouth to speak.

"Get away from my daughter, you bitch!"

Ariel goes still upon hearing that, but Jimin keeps the fire in his eyes. The man stares, the stunned expression on his face almost allowing Jimin a window to shoot. However, he isn't the one who does. The gunshot that goes off comes from behind him. Just when Jimin thinks the bullet hit him, it actually hit the security guard, and he goes tumbling to the ground.

Ariel snatches her pistol from off the ground and runs over to Jimin, hugging him tightly. He hugs back, stroking her hair. "It's okay, baby girl. I'm here. No one's gonna hurt you," he whispers, more shots going off.

Jimin turns, and Yoongi is there. The one who saved Ariel. Yoongi peers at Jimin for perhaps too long. "We have to go, we have more following us, but I managed to throw them off for now," Yoongi says. Jimin nods, about to leave, but Yoongi speaks again. "I know you hate me. You have every right to. But I wouldn't let anyone hurt her or you, Jimin. Never." Jimin keeps his back to Yoongi, and his heart pounds against his chest. "You're still my brother," Yoongi whispers. Jimin tightens his grip on Ariel's hand.

"I know."

And then, he walks away.