Day 831

A chill washes over his veins until his vision blurs the lines between reality and fiction. The eyes of his little brother are staring back at him, only those eyes aren't his anymore. They're hardened by a battle Jimin wasn't there to see, and scars are littering the cheeks that used to be so full of life. They used to look like Jimin's cheeks. Now they're foreign.

"Jimin?" Jihyun asks, his voice the same with added depth. Not much, but enough that it's noticeable. He still has the same speech style and mannerisms, the same little cracks in his tone that Jimin has. He thought Jihyun was dead. Jihyun left without explanation, and back then, Jimin assumed he couldn't handle the emotional stress of the apocalypse. Honestly, Jimin thought his brother killed himself. He's not sure what he would have preferred. A dead brother, or one on the opposite side of the battlefield.

"I thought you were dead. You left without telling me. Why the hell would you do that?"

"Back then, I wasn't like you," Jihyun says, a hitch in his words. "I didn't have the strength to do what needed to be done. To put aside personal attachment and worry about surviving first and mourning later. I was feeble. Weak. Not worthy of being a survivor. So, I left. I left to find out who I was. And I knew if I told you, you'd stop me and give me some speech about how I needed to use the power of friendship or some bullshit. Jimin, not everything can be solved with a pep talk. For what it's worth, I'm sorry I didn't tell you, and I'm sorry it hurt you. But I'm here now. Alive."

"How selfish do you have to be? You left me there. This isn't just about you, Jihyun. You were my little brother." Jimin steps forward. Despite the years of experience he has, despite all the people he's lost and had to hide his tears because of it, he still finds himself coming undone in front of the boy he grew up with. The one who was next to him through it all. When Jimin pushed him on the swings when they were younger, or when they went to the beach with their parents and pretended they were pirates using sticks as swords. They were innocent once. Where did the time go?

"And I am sorry, but I can't take back that mistake. I didn't realize you were the leader of this establishment now. I was told about the Jeon boy, but not about you."

"I wasn't really important," Jimin says, Taehyung and Yoongi glancing up at him as if waiting for a signal. Jimin's amazed Yoongi is so ready to fight, but he doesn't let that show. He's too focused on his tears right now. "Namjoon elected me as leader because of my skills. This isn't how I imagined our reunion."

"Did you?"

"What?"

"Imagine our reunion?" Jihyun asks, and there's a memory dancing in the question. A memory only Jihyun has, and one Jimin wishes he can obtain. It's like Jihyun is in a dream right now, and Jimin's the main character. Only Jimin doesn't know his story yet, and he's waiting for the page to turn to find out.

"Every night," Jimin whispers, and it's true. Ever since Jihyun disappeared, there hasn't been a day that went by that Jimin didn't see him in his mind's eye. And despite the thousands of times Jimin imagined his brother by his side, there was always a common occurrence: they hugged. Jimin would do anything to make that fantasy a reality. But there's a reason why those images happened in his mind and not in reality. It's fiction. That's all it ever was, and that's likely all it'll ever be.

"For whatever it's worth, I imagined the same." Jihyun pauses, glancing at the woman by Jimin's shoulder. He instinctively shifts his weight to his side, standing a bit taller than before. Also in front of her. "Girlfriend?"

"She's my partner, yes. But this isn't about her. Or my campus. This is between us no matter what bullshit leader positions we have. It's all fake, you and I both know that. The Ranglers being the government of our area? Bullshit. Me in charge of a group of kids pretending to be adults? Bullshit. But we have something real, Jihyun."

"We had something real," Jihyun says. Ironically enough, the tears in Jihyun's eyes are real. "I have a mission, and no matter our personal relation, I have to carry it out. Jimin, I can't trust you anymore. You know that. But I'd like to, and if you come join us, I'll give you a high rank. We can fight side-by-side instead of the option neither of us want to say out loud. Your group will have access to clean water and-"

"Everything you have, we already have. Clean water, fresh food, good cooks, weaponry, medicine. We have everything you could possibly offer us. Actually, that's not true." Jimin steps forward. For once, he doesn't feel the pain of his injury. He still limps, but the ache doesn't come. Probably because the tears drown it out. "We have more. You have soldiers you force out of their homes. We have a family. A family you were supposed to be apart of."

"I already told you I can't take back the mistakes of my past. But I can try to make our future right."

Jimin stares, the rest of the group around him silent out of respect for their 'reunion'. It feels more like a nightmare. His eyes become pits of water, more of the liquid dripping down his cheeks until they turn the dirt beneath him into mud. His mind flashes with images until he can't bear them anymore, and he grabs the locket hidden under his shirt, whipping it out. And in a rash move, he rips it off and throws it at Jihyun.

The man catches it, glancing down at it with his brows knit together. "I fucking waited for you!" Jimin shouts, the pain hitting now. Not the gunshot's pain, though. "After everyone left me, the only hope I had was you coming back. I dreamed of you walking through my front door with open arms. This whole time, I thought I was a fucking failure who drove you away because I was too weak to protect you. But I was wrong. God dammit, when will I ever be right about something?" Jimin limps again, holding his injured spot as he goes forward and halts in front of the leader of the Ranglers. He jabs his finger against Jihyun's chest, the braid in Jimin's hair dangling in front of his face. "I carried you around every day. I've been in probably over a dozen groups, met dozens of people, led them too. And despite all that, the only person I was ever fully loyal to was you. I thought you were dead, but I still waited. I waited only for you to come here with this bullshit professional attitude, asking me to join your cult."

Jihyun opens the locket and peeks inside, Jimin lowering his hand. His brother traces his thumb across the inside, no one speaking for several moments. When Jihyun finally does open his mouth, Jimin nearly falls back. "Your old leader confronted us not long ago. We came back looking to recruit the whole campus, and he made a deal. Himself for the protection of your campus."

Jimin's not surprised Jihyun ignores all of what happened, but it stings nonetheless. His next words are a desperate plea. The last plea he has left. "Who are you?" he asks in a cracked voice, his tone a hush. A shell of what it used to be.

"We agreed to his deal, but we lost two good men fighting off a Behemoth on a scavenger mission. We have many men, but many is not enough these days. Especially with Howlers becoming more active in our area."

"Why?" Yoongi asks, Jihyun gazing at him. "Why are Howlers becoming more active, I mean?"

"Not sure. If I were to guess, they killed everyone in the areas they were living and came over to our district for new food. That's the working theory, but I have my best trying to figure out more."

"And you want us to combat your problem? You can't just take someone's free will away like this. It's monstrous," Yoongi says, Taehyung attempting to hold him back, but he shrugs the younger one off. "You're such hypocrites. If we came to you, threatening to take you by force if you don't come with us willingly, you'd be saying the same thing."

"It's easy to say that when you haven't been desperate before."

"You took everything from these people to the point where they sought me out. Me, a no one living a disgusting, lonely life on a mound of dirt. I don't care that you're related to my boss. You're a piece of fucking shit."

Jimin doesn't so much as peek at Yoongi as he says it. The words should hurt. Someone's calling his brother shit. But the more Jimin thinks, the more it seems as though it's true. His emotions are spiraling throughout his veins, and he's not sure which one to focus on. If he can even pinpoint one, that is.

"How many people do you need, exactly?" Jimin asks, Jihyun turning back to him despite Yoongi's glare.

"Namjoon volunteered himself and hid it from the rest of you, I presume?" No answer is enough of one, and Jihyun nods at everyone's silence. "Interesting. He helps tremendously. He's magnificent. Truly a brilliant mind. I'm willing to compromise and take quality over quantity. If you have any special fighters or strategists, I'm willing to take them and spare the others."

"You took Namjoon and came back before. How do we know you won't do it again?" Jimin asks, Jihyun waving the air.

"That's a fair question. Jimin, you're still my brother even if we don't feel like it anymore. I'd like to give you my word. I know that may not be good enough, but out of respect for the deal and for you, I will order my men to not only never return to this place, but also to not come within 200 feet of it. Does that sound fair?"

"I'm not bargaining my people. They deserve freedom," Jimin replies, Jihyun's lips turning upwards by a degree. "But you said you're looking for fighters and strategists? What if I were to say we have both."

Before Jihyun can reply, Y/n grabs Jimin's arm much tighter than she's ever touched him before. "Don't you fucking dare, Park Jimin," she says as if reading his mind.

Taehyung catches on, letting out a short breath. "Jimin..."

"I'm an excellent fighter, and I wouldn't be a leader if I wasn't good at strategy. I've led other groups before, and we survived a decently long time. That's without mentioning my experience with martial arts that you and I both know I have lots in."

Jihyun considers this, then dips his head. "I can't argue with that. Don't you have a black belt in Taekwondo?"

"Among other things."

"Hm," Jihyun says in a hum, observing Jimin's figure. "As interesting as it would be to have you by my side again, you're injured, are you not? I'm not going to take a faulty soldier."

"I've been healing for a while now. My full recovery is only weeks away. You'll have a strategist regardless of my physical capabilities, not to mention I know this area much better than I did before thanks to the scavenger missions I was assigned to during my stay here. And... I can tell you how to defeat Howlers."

Jihyun freezes at that, and so does the rest of the group. "You know a way to defeat Howlers?"

"You know the hospital? The one boarded up and crawling with Howlers?" Jihyun nods. "Not long after I got shot by one of your men, I went there because my friends broke in to get medicine to save my life. I managed to kill a lot of them, and I can tell you how, but only if I get your word that you'll never touch this place again."

"Jimin, if you have a foolproof way for us to kill Howlers, we'll never have to take lives from anywhere ever again, not just here."

"Then it's settled. Take me back with you, and leave the others here-"

"Are you out of your fucking mind?!" Y/n shouts, pulling him back and behind her. Jihyun's eyes narrow on her, and Jimin's heart jumps at the sight. She motions to Jungkook, and he draws his weapon and points it at Jimin's little brother. Before Jimin can protest, Y/n whips around and points her finger at him. "Whatever we do, we do it together. You're not going out there, not when you're injured and... and not away from me, got it Park?"

He doesn't realize she's crying until her voice cracks, and his instinct is to hug her. Kiss her head and hold her hand. But there's nothing he can do now. "Jihyun," Jimin says, but his eyes stay on her. He doesn't wait for him to reply. "If I tell Jungkook to blow your brains out right now, and we kill all of you who came here, would more come and take us by force?"

"Within a day at most."

"And if we refuse to go with you?"

"We take you, or try to. No matter who wins this fight, the next one won't be nearly as fun for you."

Y/n's teary eyes shatter his heart into pieces. He places his hand on her cheek, kissing her head despite knowing they don't have time for it. "I'm sorry, my love. We're out of time. You were right after all. Discussing our future was a good idea, even if we're a newer couple." He pauses to give her an eye smile. "I enjoyed dreaming with you, honey."

She doesn't reply. Not because she doesn't want to, rather because she wants to enjoy the last moments they have. There's no protesting this. There's no stopping it. The best chance they have is to turn Jimin over to them. Even if they twist their word and come back for the rest of campus, a small chance of peace is better than no chance at all. If he doesn't do this, they get taken no matter what. At least if he tries, there's a chance to save his friends. A part of Jimin stills wants to trust his brother. Trust that he'll honor their deal and not return to this campus ever again. Jimin's people will be safe. Y/n and Ves will be safe. And to him, that's all that matters.

He recalls telling himself the cause of his death would likely be Y/n. He'd die for her. In a way, that's what this is now. It's like selling his soul to the devil in exchange for the thing he desires most. Only the devil is Jihyun, and the thing he desires most is for his family to live happily and free. And that's worth any cost. Even himself.

"I told you," he says, chuckling. "I can't protect our future if I can't protect us now. So that's what I'm doing. You were Namjoon's right hand. Now you lead them, okay? You lead your family to whatever safety you need to get."

Y/n nods, her lips rubbing together. Jimin gives her hand a squeeze. He craves one more kiss, but the eyes of his brother are on him, and he knows he can't bask in the moment any longer. His last day with Y/n has arrived, much faster than he thought it would. But he has no regrets. He lived with her, he bonded with her family until they became family to him too, and he gained a son in the process. Jimin grabs the braid in his hair, her peering at it. He pats his fingers over it, her laughing without any humor in it. He'll never take it out. Ever. It's the last thing he'll have left of her, after all.

Jimin backs away and goes to Jihyun's side. Then, and only then, does he gain the courage to look at Ves. His eyes are puffy, lined with red marks and blotches of skin a different shade than the rest of his body. It seems as though he wants to reach out and grab Jimin, but it's far too late. Jihyun places a hand on Jimin's shoulder, dragging him back.

"Dad," Ves says in a whimper, the scratching of his tone slashing Jimin's ears like a blade. "Tell me when I'll see you again."

Jihyun grips his shoulder more tightly than before, and Jimin leans into it for once. The locket is still resting in Jihyun's free hand, taunting Jimin to grab it and use it as makeshift brass knuckles to beat the Ranglers to death with his bare hands. But the Ranglers have Jihyun, and Jimin knows he would never hurt his brother no matter the circumstance. Not to mention he's in no condition to fight. So, as the Ranglers usher him away, Jimin shakes his head, refusing to take his eyes off his son.

"You won't."