-Take me to church-
Hozier
01:43 ━━━━●───── 03:50
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The candles around the church had been burnt down to tiny nubs, shrouding the church in a soft golden glow. Carl and Judith had decided to go into Gabriel's study to rest for the night, leaving the group to quiet down and cease their celebrating. The muffled laughs and whispered words caressed the walls of the church and intertwined with the violin solo played by the cicadas outside.

Sleep clung to Jungkook's lashes as he leaned his head on Taehyung's shoulder and watched a rare smile bloom on Tyreese's face. The tension that had once haunted his eyes had lightened into something soft as he listened to Sasha laugh at a joke Bob had uttered. A ball of fluff grew inside Jungkook's chest and unravelled the remaining poisonous knots of grief and self loathing. The one thing he had prayed for had finally come true - they were together once more - and finally he was able to exhale and sink into himself without a single shard of tension or fear piercing his skin.

Before the serenity of the night and the calming presence of his group could pull him into a dreamless sleep, he felt Taehyung's shoulder shift under his head, followed by the brush of his fingers against his thigh, "Hey." The  Taehyung rasped under his breath, meaning it only for Jungkook's ears. Jungkook cracked an eye open and hummed groggily but didn't bother to lift his head, "Let's step out for a bit?" Taehyung suggested nervously, clearly hesitating.

Jungkook pulled his head up, wincing as his neck cracked after being bent for so long, "What for?" He grumbled as he rubbed the sleep out of the corners of his eyes. When silence followed, Jungkook peered over at Taehyung and only then noticed the blush dusting his cheeks and the lack of eye contact, "Sorry," Jungkook softened his voice, realising his words might've come across as harsher than he intended them to be and Taehyung didn't need that in that moment, "Let's go then." He shrugged and pushed himself off the ground before offering his hand to Taehyung to pull him up too.

They stepped over Glenn's legs and brushed past a sleepy Maggie to walk towards the exit. Rick's eyes immediately settled on them - taking note of them leaving, just as he had done with Daryl and Carol when they left a moment prior. They reached the entrance to the church and pushed past the heavy door. The hinges creaked when it was moved, they slipped outside and clicked it shut behind them. The crispy air filled their lungs after hours of being in the stuffy, candle-lit room and Jungkook couldn't fight the tug of a smile as he sucked in a deep breath - enjoying the serene evening.

The moon was illuminating the front porch and the trees surrounding the area, while the breeze wrapped itself around them and made goosebumps rise on their skin, "Did you have something else to confess or did you just want to have some alone time?" Jungkook mused - the tease silky smooth on the tip of his tongue.

Taehyung huffed an amused breath, watching Jungkook lean against the railings of the porch before stepping closer to join him, "Nothing as dramatic as that love confession." He played along as he curled his fingers around the rails and peered up at the sky, "I just wanted to give you something." With Jungkook's curious gaze pressing into his skin, Taehyung reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out two shimmering silver bracelets, "Found these at that shop after we..you know." Taehyung trailed off with a sprinkle of a blush falling onto his cheeks.

Jungkook leaned over to peer down at the two bracelets in his palms. The bracelets were made up of silver links interlocking so tightly together that they almost resembled serpent scales. Each link rested snugly against the next, creating a fluid, almost liquid-like movement across the wrist. The light spilling through the windows of the church caught onto them, dousing them in a sleek shimmer. The bracelets threaded the line between masculine and feminine - while it was subtle and delicate, it felt grounded and solid.

"Why?" Jungkook mumbled without removing his eyes from the bracelets, he even reached out and hesitantly hooked a finger around one of them.

Taehyung released a sharp breath as though he had been holding it in his lungs, "Just wanted something that signified the start of our relationship."

Jungkook snapped his gaze up, unable to fight against the grin that broke out in his face, "You're so fluffy." He snickered, voice teasing yet still gooey with the warmth of freshly baked cookies, "Put it on then." He ordered and pulled the sleeve of his shirt back to present his bare wrist to Taehyung, "And why a bracelet?" He asked as Taehyung wrapped the silver bracelet around his wrist.

"Thought a ring might be too soon." It was Taehyung's turn to tease - now more at ease after Jungkook had accepted their new title as boyfriends.

Jungkook choked on his next inhale yet tried not to move too much so that Taehyung could close the latch, "Yeah, I mean, jumping from being a situationship to marriage sure is something."

Taehyung looked up at him through his lashes, wearing a smirk as he remarked, "We were a situationship, huh?"

Jungkook rolled his eyes, reaching out to shove him enough to make Taehyung take a step back, "What were we then?" He challenged right back and snatched the other bracelet Taehyung dangled in front of his face, "Go on then." Jungkook prodded for answers with a raised brow as he took Taehyung's wrist and wrapped the bracelet around it.

Taehyung's greasy smirk was still present on his lips as he pressed himself closer and closer until the only thing keeping them apart was Taehyung's arm. He leaned in until the crown of his head brushed against Jungkook's curls before lowering his voice to whisper, "I don't know about you but I always thought of us as lovers." Jungkook snorted, eyes bouncing up from the tiny latch he was trying to close.

"Fucking liar." Jungkook snickered yet his voice was lacking the usual harshness that came with the words he uttered.

"You calling me a liar?" A soft rumble hid underneath Taehyung's whisper and as Jungkook looked up at him after successfully closing the bracelet, Taehyung's gaze lingered on his eyes before slipping down his nose and settling on his lips, "Such a cruel accusation against an innocent man."

A sudden dryness had taken hold of Jungkook's throat as he watched Taehyung stare at his lips, "There's nothing innocent about you, Kim Taehyung." He managed to mutter, taking a step back when Taehyung took one forward. Jungkook's hips bumped into the banister behind him and Taehyung immediately crowded him against it.

"There is one thing." Taehyung exhaled, lifting his hand to curl his fingers around Jungkook's chin, "One thing that has and always will remain innocent." Taehyung pressed the pad of his thumb into Jungkook's lower lip and tore his gaze away from his lips to stare into Jungkook's wide eyes, "My love for you."

Jungkook's mouth fell open and eyes grew wider, he stuttered, unable to find an answer. A blush crept up on his cheeks and his chest tickled as though it was holding a swarm of butterflies captive, "You're such a fool." He pushed out, trying to deflect and turn the conversation away from the soft and fuzzy direction it had travelled into.

"Am I?" Taehyung's voice was thick and smooth, it drizzled onto Jungkook's ears like melted dark chocolate, "Maybe so." Taehyung tilted his head and leaned closer, hovering his lips just a mere hair's width apart, "Doesn't change a thing though." Taehyung left a barely there, feather-like kiss on the corner of Jungkook's mouth, causing his breath to stutter and lips to part.

The creak of the heavy church door made them twist their heads to the side to see who had decided to come outside. Bob walked out with heavy steps and a tightness to his features. He pushed the door shut and as if the strings on his shoulders had been cut, immediately sagged into himself. His face fell and eyes became cloudy with thought.

Jungkook and Taehyung shared a look, concerned about whatever was worrying the man. Taehyung backed away from Jungkook and crossed his arms over his chest while Jungkook didn't bother moving and remained pressed into the bannister. Bob didn't see them standing there until he turned to face the stairs leading down the porch.

As soon as he noticed them through the corner of his eye, his head snapped up and shoulders straightened out. The tension in his face twisted into a smile and bright eyes, "Hey." He greeted them almost awkwardly, glancing between the forest and the pair.

Taehyung only stared at him before Jungkook pushed himself off the banister and reached out to interlock their fingers, "Me and Tae were about to head inside, you can stay here, I'm sure Sasha will join you in a minute." Jungkook spoke through a smile as he tugged Taehyung past Bob and towards the door.

"No, I...." Bob's voice made them pause and look at him, "I want to be alone for a bit."

Jungkook's smile faltered and gaze drifted towards Taehyung once more. The latter didn't look back and just offered Bob a shrug of his shoulders, "Sure, be careful and stay close." He advised and turned away so that he could reach past Jungkook to pull the door open.

Bob had already turned away from them and was now walking down the stairs. Jungkook furrowed his brows as he watched him approach the forest where moonlight wasn't able to penetrate the thick foliage, "You think he's okay?" Jungkook asked in their native language as Taehyung guided him into the warm arms of the church.

"He's sweaty, maybe he needed some fresh air or.." Taehyung sighed, "A lot happened at Terminus, maybe he just needs time to stomach everything."

Jungkook's face hardened at the mention of the place, "Cannibals. Weirdly enough I never expected people to be so far gone."

Taehyung hummed, releasing Jungkook's hand to place it on his lower back and lead him into an isle between the pews. Jungkook sat down with a yawn and pulled one of his legs up while Taehyung plopped down with a groan and immediately laid an arm over the back of the pew, behind Jungkook's head.

"Do you think that's the ultimate line a person could cross, the one thing you can't return from?" Jungkook wondered out loud as he stared at the group at the front of the church.

"I'm sure there's worse, I'm just glad we don't have to worry about crossing these lines and I just hope we don't have to see it when others do."

Taehyung's words made Jungkook frown back at him, "What can be worse than cannibalism?"

Taehyung didn't respond for a while and Jungkook wondered if he even would but just when he was about to toss the topic into the trash, Taehyung peeled his lips apart.

"Raping, killing kids."

A slab of ice fell in the pit of Jungkook's stomach, its sharpened edges dug into his chest and made his ribs crack. His skin began to frost and peel off his bones, and hands trembled as they laid limp in his lap. Killing kids. Jungkook could still remember the weight of the gun in his hand, could feel how his clothes had stuck to his skin from the sun beating down on him, could still smell the flowers and could hear the chirp of the birds, just as he could still hear Lizzie's sharp sobs and the gunshot that had not only silenced her but the surrounded area.

"I killed Lizzie."

"What?"

Ever so slowly Jungkook turned his stiff head to the side to stare into Taehyung's incredulous eyes. He could see it, the conflict inside Taehyung, the way he wondered if he had heard him correctly, then he saw the way he tried to find possible reasons for what Jungkook had done so that he could excuse it.

"I killed Lizzie." Jungkook moved his lips to form the whisper. Taehyung's eyes widened and for the first time since Jungkook met him he saw Taehyung be rendered speechless, but he didn't need to say anything when his eyes said too much. Taehyung's denial was short lived and Jungkook witnessed the very moment Taehyung switched over to acceptance and reasoning. But before Taehyung could form his own reasons for it, Jungkook spoke again, "She wasn't bit and she wasn't dying." His voice was weak and lacked the necessary emotion that usually accompanied such a heavy confession.

A whip of an emotion Jungkook wasn't able to catch flashed across Taehyung's face before the man threw it away and forced his emotions behind a steel mask, "Why?" He asked as he searched the answer in Jungkook's eyes.

The events of the past laid out in front of Jungkook like a book he could flip through. There was so much context, so much that had happened that Jungkook wasn't sure where to start, "After the bridge I came across Lizzie and Mika, they thought I was a walker and ran. I followed them and turns out they were staying at this house with Carol, Tyreese and Judith." Jungkook licked his lips and tore his eyes away from Taehyung, unable to look at him as he told him what happened, "Everything was fine for a while, they even planned to stay at the house with the girls while I went to Terminus to get you."

"One day me, Tyreese and Carol went out to get water from the well and check the area. When we came back Lizzie was standing there with a knife in her hand, covered in blood and Mika lying dead on the ground. She had just killed her sister and was smiling about it, Tae." Jungkook turned to look up at him with tears prickling at the edges of his eyes, "She was just standing there, smiling and when Carol tried to take the knife from her, she pulled a gun on us. She said she wanted us to wait until Mika turned so that she could show us that walkers are friends. Carol had to talk her down and Lizzie even said she was about to.." Jungkook glanced over at Rick, making sure he wasn't looking before turning his attention back to Taehyung, "She said she was about to do it to Judith too."

Taehyung flinched at the mere thought, "Fuck." He pressed a hand against his face and dug his fingers into the bridge of his nose.

Jungkook was on the verge of tears - his breaths starting to quicken and hands shaking so much he had to curl them into fists, "We didn't know what to do, she couldn't be around Judith or other people. Carol wanted to leave with her but that was a bad idea, when we realised what had to be done, Carol said she'd do it but I couldn't let her do that, not when she had lost her own daughter." Jungkook rambled on between shaky exhales and trembling lips before shooting his arm out to grab at Taehyung's shirt, "I had no choice, you have to believe me that I didn't want t-"

Taehyung dropped his hand from his face and quickly wrapped it around the back of Jungkook's neck to pull him into himself, "Shhh, I know, I know you didn't." Taehyung held Jungkook against his chest, combing his fingers through his hair and wrapping his other arm around his shoulders, "There wasn't anything you could do, you did what needed to be done and you did it to protect the others."

Jungkook didn't respond, only squeezed his eyes shut and slumped against Taehyung. Tears rolled down his cheeks and Jungkook pressed his face into Taehyung's shirt to hide them. The way Tae's chest rose and fell soothed Jungkook and the way he held him in his arms dried the tears in his eyes. They were silent for a while, neither of them saying or doing anything that could hinder the delicate comfort hanging over their heads.

"I'm sorry."

Jungkook pulled away at that so that he could look at Taehyung, "What are you sorry for?" He questioned incredulously.

"I'm sorry for not being there, I would have never let you pick up that gun if I was." Jungkook couldn't believe the sincerity Taehyung spoke with, nor could he believe the lack of anger and repulsion in Taehyung's gaze, "I'm sorry for not being there so that I could carry this weight for you and I know you will never let yourself forget but I hope you can forgive yourself and not hate yourself because I could never hate you for what happened."

While Jungkook knew Taehyung wouldn't hate him or find him disgusting after finding out what he had done, he still expected some sort of negative response. Because killing a child, no matter the reason, was still wrong. This unwavering acceptance and understanding Taehyung showed him made him wonder if it was Taehyung's love for him that prevented him from judging him or if it was because all of them were so far gone that the lines were starting to blur.

When Jungkook remained silent and only stared at Tae as he tried to grasp onto his thoughts, Taehyung reached out and gently took his face between his hands, "Nothing changes. I know your heart, I know you, I know you wouldn't have done if there had been another way." Jungkook rolled his lips together and tried to blink away his tears by looking down at their laps instead of Taehyung's eyes, "If I had been in your place, I would have done it for you so you wouldn't have to, just like you had done with Carol." Jungkook's eyes flickered up at that, only to be met with a consoling smile and gentle eyes, "I'm sorry that you were put in that situation."

Jungkook sucked in a sharp breath and flung himself forward so that he could wrap his arms around Taehyung's shoulders and press his face into the crook of his neck. The weight of Taehyung's arms settled around his back, holding him so tightly that it should've felt restricting but it only grounded him and made him feel like he was still there - living, breathing, feeling.

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The doors of the church were pushed open with a loud screech that made Jungkook jerk awake. His arm shot out to grab at his gun and eyes flickered over to the entrance. Sasha prowled into the church with Rick and Tyreese trailing after her. Emotion had been sucked out of their faces, allowing darkness to seep into their features. A sudden tension befell the church, draining the church of any leftover traces of the celebration that had once taken place.

Jungkook's eyes were glued onto Sasha as he pushed his head off of Taehyung's lap and sat up. Her steps were calm and careful, each one pressing carefully into the wooden floors which caused the clicks of her heels to feel loud in the eerie church. Her eyes as sharp as a wolf's were pinned on the pastor standing by the altar. She strolled down the aisle with Rick lazily approaching from behind - the leader clearly letting her take charge in what was about to conspire.

Jungkook leaned forward, laying his arms over the bench in front of him. The pastor closed the book he was holding and glanced behind his shoulder as if he was about to flee, only to be stopped when Sasha's voice rung out, "Stop." Gabriel visibly stiffened, twisting his neck to look at the woman standing in front of him, "What are you doing?" Gabriel through his confusion didn't respond, only took a hesitant step closer and showed her his book, "What are you doing?" Sasha whispered without tearing her eyes away from him.

Gabriel's eyes flickered over to Rick but the leader remained silent, only watching from behind Sasha as she spoke, "This is all connected." Jungkook's brows furrowed and he peered back at Taehyung over his shoulder. The man was still slumped against the seat with his legs spread and one arm draped over his thigh yet his eyes were sharp and attentive. He met Jungkook's gaze and only shrugged before looking back at Sasha.

"You show up, we're being watched and now three of us are gone."

Jungkook stiffened and whipped his attention back to them. The words created an uncomfortable churn in his chest and made his instincts sharpen in an instant. Finally he noticed the members who were not present. Yet the lingering confusion didn't allow him to draw any conclusions. What he knew though was that the wooden door behind him no longer felt safe, just a thin slab of wood that could be broken down in a few shoves. The windows too, were far too wide and many to provide any proper cover.

Jungkook pushed himself off the bench to stand up, unable to sit when the tense stillness of the room was rubbing at his skin in such an uncomfortable way. Yet he didn't dare move closer, only watched Sasha corner the man with her piercing eyes and dangerous words, while Rick lingered behind her as a shadow moulded from death itself.

"I.." Gabriel stuttered, looking around the group but every time his eyes flickered back to Sasha, "I don't...I don't have anything to do with this." Confusion was ever present in his startled expression as he tried to reason with them.

In a second, Sasha ripped her dagger out and stepped closer to Gabriel. Gabriel jerked away in raw terror, holding up his hands in surrender while the group shot forward to stop her. Rosita shouted at her, only to be held back by Abraham. Tyreese ordered for her to stop and approached her until he was hovering just behind her, ready to pull her away. Maggie and Tara lingered by the side, yet they too looked confused and startled by the sudden hostility. And Rick, the man hadn't moved an inch, just watched from the back of the group with his face growing darker with each passing second.

"Who's out there?" Sasha demanded, pressing closer and closer towards Gabriel with the knife still in her hand.

Gabriel held up his hands, "I don't have anything to do with this." He quickly pushed out.

"Where are our people?" Sasha gritted with another step forward, cornering Gabriel against the altar.

"I don't have-" Gabriel stuttered once more, only to be cut off by Sasha jerking forward.

"Where are our people!" She screamed, her voice carried through the church, slamming into the walls and rattling against their eardrums.

"Please, I don't have anything to do with this." Gabriel pleaded with them and Sasha's face crumbled as Tyreese reached out and gently pulled her back by her arm. She stumbled yet relented and allowed Rick to saunter past her.

Jungkook pushed his tongue into his cheek and straightened out once he knew that Rick was taking control of the situation. The air felt dangerous in his mouth and was heavy as he gulped it down. It sizzled against his skin, making his fingers itch and shoulders prickle from the poison.

Rick strolled closer and stopped, maintaining a distance between him and Gabriel. A distance that should've been comforting but only felt like a trap.  He stared at the Pastor who quivered under the weight of his eyes and then he parted his lips to release an eerily calm question.

"Why'd you bring us here?"

"Please..I.."

"You working with someone?" Rick easily swept past the stuttering by leaning forward and lowering his voice into an even more dangerous tone.

"I'm alone, I'm alone, I was always alone!" Gabriel quickly denied, still holding his hands up.

Rick swept up a finger at Gabriel, "What about the woman at the food bank, Gabriel?" He pressed closer, "What did you do to her?" And closer, lowering his voice into threatening whispers, "You'll burn for this? That was for you, why? What are you going to burn for Gabriel?" Rick lunged at him, grabbing Gabriel by the collar and shoving him into the railings of the altar, "What! What did you do? What did you do!" Abruptly, Rick released him and leaned away.

Gabriel's breathing was jerky and tear filled eyes flickered around, avoiding looking at them, "I lock the doors at night." His voice shook as he confessed, "I always lock the doors at night, I always lock the doors at night." Gabriel's voice quivered and lips wobbled, his knees gave out but he caught himself by grabbing onto the railing. He sucked in a heavy breath and gathered himself, "They started coming, my congregation. Atlanta was bombed the night before and they were scared, they were looking for a safe place, a place where they felt safe."

Gabriel choked on his words and his tears clouded his vision, "It was so early, so early. And the doors were still looked." Gabriel stared down at the ground, choking on his words as he tried to push them out, "You see, it was my choice. But there were so many of them and they were trying to pry the shutters off and banging in the sidings, screaming at me, and so the dead came for them."

"Women." Gabriel looked up at them yet didn't let his eyes linger as his next words clung onto his tongue, refusing to leave his mouth, "Children." He choked out, "Entire families calling my name as they were torn apart, begging me for mercy." Gabriel's voice raised in pitch as his words twisted into a sob, "Begging me for mercy." He curled his fingers into fists and pressed them into his chest, slumping into himself and rocking himself back and forth as he cried, "Damning me to hell." He sniffed and squeezed his eyes shut, "I buried their bones. I buried it all."

He sucked in a breath, sniffling and crying as he looked up at them. His eyes surveyed the group, "The Lord sent you here to finally punish me." Gabriel's face twisted and dropped before his knees gave out and he fell into a crouch, "I'm damned." He exhaled through his cries, looking up at Rick with tears rolling down his cheeks, "I always lock the doors." He cried out while looking up at them as though the words gave him some comfort, "I always lock the doors." Gabriel sobbed and fully dropped to the ground, curling into himself as his sobs echoed through the church.

"I guess even Pastors haven't come out unscathed." Taehyung uttered from where he was sitting, snapping Jungkook out of his trance.

He swallowed the lump in his throat and tore his gaze away from the crying Pastor. At least now they knew what Gabriel had been hiding and knew he wasn't the cause of this. Sasha sheathed her dagger and turned away from him too, and when she did, a whistle from outside sucked all air out of the church and made the group spring into action.

Taehyung was up on his feet and by the window before anyone could blink, he pulled the curtains back and peered outside, "There's someone outside, lying in the grass!" He called out.

Jungkook jerked forward and rushed to the door, he ripped it open, only to be pushed aside by Sasha. Tyreese called out after her yet the woman swerved through the door and ran out. Jungkook followed after her, pulling out his gun and eyeing the treeline as he marched down the steps and approached the body Sasha was hovering over.

The group spilled outside after them and started to spread out, "Bob!" Sasha cried out and Jungkook's head swivelled towards the said man. The sight in front of him made his face drop. Bob laid unconscious on the ground, his skin was coated in sweat and dark bags sat beneath his eyes. But the cause of the panic was Bob's leg. It had been chopped off at the knee and was covered with bandages that were slowly getting soaked by blood.

"His leg." Maggie whispered, stumbling away in her shock.

"Get Bob inside, we'll take care of them!" Glenn called out as him and Taehyung approached two walkers Jungkook hadn't even noticed until now. Taehyung threw a dagger while Glenn beat it with his rifle.

"Help me!" Sasha whimpered through shaky breaths and Jungkook shoved his gun back in the sheath and marched up to Bob. He reached down to grab his arm and wrapped it around his shoulders, "Help me, help me, help me." Sasha continued to mumble like a prayer while they hoisted Bob up and began to drag him back to the church.

More and more walkers spilled out from the woods, forcing Maggie and Rick to attack them. Jungkook couldn't focus on anything that was happening, his shock clouding his mind and preventing him from stomaching the chaos that was occurring around him. His body went into autopilot - grip onto Bob and carry him forward, up the stairs and through the door, down the aisle of the church, towards the altar until they could set him down on the ground.

Jungkook's eyes drifted down to the man's leg and question after question accompanied the sight he saw. Bob wouldn't have done this to himself, even if he was bit he wouldn't have been able to cut his own leg off. He didn't even have the tools to do it. Jungkook looked up at Gabriel who had pushed himself into the corner of the room and seemed to be petrified. There was still a chance he could've lied and been involved in this but there wasn't a way to prove that he was.

Jungkook dug his hand into his face and watched as the group poured back into the church with Rick coming in last. The leader slammed the door shut and together they approached Bob's unconscious body and a crying Sasha. They crowded around Bob, sitting down in the chairs and ground. Tyreese plopped down next to his sister, pressing a comforting hand against her back and rubbing soothing circles into her skin.

Jungkook felt Taehyung press a hand to his shoulder to stabilise himself as he crouched down behind him. The hand slid down his shoulder and remained pressed against his ribs. Jungkook used the touch to pull himself out of the shock he was stuck in - the emotion that had started to feel like sinking sand starting to ebb away.

The group was silent as they sat around Bob and observed his damaged leg. Sasha was the first to move - reaching out a trembling hand to tangle her fingers between Bob's. Jungkook wasn't able to look at her, knowing that all he'd find in her face would be despair. They waited, with Sasha caressing Bob's hand and rubbing at his shoulder while uttering soft words under her breath. They waited until Bob twitched and his eyes rolled behind his lids, and then they ground open ever so slowly.

His features twisted in pain and panic, eyes flashing around yet not being able to latch onto the faces that stared down at him. His muscles seized and he jerked up, only for Sasha to grab at him and ease him back to the ground, "It's okay, it's me, it's me, Bob." Sasha repeated in a trembling breath, doing so until Bob's eyes settled on her face and recognition flashed across his face. His body sunk against the ground and the adrenaline gave room to pain.

Bob's breathing was harsh as he tore his eyes away from Sasha and looked from person to person until he settled onto Rick, "I was in the graveyard. Somebody knocked me out. I woke up outside this place. It looked like a school." Bob dragged his tongue against the roof of his mouth to form the jagged words before pushing them out between his rugged breaths, "It was that guy."Jungkook eyes bounced up to Gabriel who was still covering in the corner of the room, trying to remain unseen by the group.

"Gareth."

Jungkook grew confused at the name but he did feel Taehyung stiffen as soon as the name left Bob's lips.

"And five other ones." Bob continued while his eyes grew cloudier with memories and unknown emotion, "They were eating my leg right in front of me like it was nothing." Bob stared down at his amputated leg, starting to hyperventilate, "All proud, like they had it all figured out."

While Taehyung had told Jungkook about the cannibalism, seeing it with his own eyes was something else. Jungkook needed a moment to pick up the thought, shove it down his throat and stomach it. There once was a remaining shroud of guilt in the pit of Jungkook's stomach at what he had done at Terminus but after witnessing what they were capable of, guilt was a privilege they didn't deserve.

Rick cleared his throat and shifted on his heels, "Did they have Daryl and Carol?" The words were hesitant as if Rick wasn't sure if it was alright to switch the topic away from Bob and onto the missing pair.

Bob's brows furrowed, "Gareth said they drove off." He wheezed out and pushed against the ground to get into a more comfortable position, only for his body to seize and face to scrunch. A guttural groan erupted from his throat, and Sasha and Jungkook leaned down to help him sit up.

"He's in pain, do we have anything?" Sasha looked up at Maggie, then at Rosita.

"I think there are pill packets in the first-aid kit." Rosita confirmed and Sasha nodded in a silent plea to bring them, Rosita pressed her lips into a sympathetic smile and shifted to grab the meds, only for Bob to croak for them to stop.

"Save them."

"No." Sasha immediately shut that down, choking on her words.

"Really!" Bob ordered and finally turned his gaze towards her. He stared at her for a moment before his face cracked and he started to inch his hand up to the collar of his shirt. He slid his fingers under the shirt and tugged it down his shoulder, revealing the gruelling sight of a bite on his shoulder. The skink had been completely torn off, revealing munched-on muscle and bleeding tissue. The skin around the wound was swollen and dark, revealing that the infection had long started to spread.

Jungkook's mouth parted and eyes flickered up to Sasha. The woman's face was frozen in shock and fear, yet as the realisation began to set in, her eyes began to fill with tears. She wasn't able to utter a word, could only stare at the man she loved with devastating acceptance towards a situation she couldn't change.

"It happened at the food bank." Bob whispered to her and instantly, Sasha's face crumbled. Jungkook flinched when the words reached his ears, realising that while him and Taehyung were professing their love to each other and after that, showing that love to each other, the group was fighting for their lives with Bob getting bit in the process. Guilt churned uncomfortably in the pit of his stomach but Jungkook swallowed it down, understanding that he shouldn't be thinking about himself at this moment.

Sasha forced a smile onto her trembling lips, "It's okay." She pushed out and reached out to hold his hand.

Bob groaned through his wheezes, trying to shift in place, only for his arm to give out and for him to fall to the ground, "Bob?" Sasha choked, quickly leaning over him.

"There's a sofa in my office."

Jungkook's eyes snapped towards Gabriel, followed by the rest of the group and eventually Sasha who slowly turned her head to see him, "It's not much but.." he trailed off hesitantly.

Sasha stared at him with parted lips and vulnerability sown into her features, emotions swerved through her eyes before she uttered a soft yet grateful thank you.

"I got him." Tyreese stood up and the group shifted away to give him enough room to hoist Bob up to his feet. Jungkook took a few steps away until his back bumped into Taehyung who quickly placed his hands on his hips to stabilise him.

"It happened at the food bank." Jungkook whispered over his shoulder while keeping his eyes locked onto Bob until Tyreese hoisted him into Gabriel's office. Sasha and Maggie slipped into the room after them and gently shut the door behind them, breaking Jungkook's string of eye contact.

"Don't think about it." Taehyung uttered back, reaching up to comb his fingers through Jungkook's hair, "It happened, you can't do anything about it, so just keep moving forward."

Jungkook's eyes hardened and jaw clenched, "There is something we can do about it." He gritted through his teeth and twisted his head to the side to stare at Taehyung, "We kill those pricks."

The corner of Taehyung's lips twitched into a smirk before he pushed it down and gave a small nod, "Killing them sounds nice, yeah."

Judith's croaky cry broke through the air, causing the group to glance over at them. Carl reached over and picked up the crate she had been put into before walking over to Gabriel's self-made bedroom, all while sushing her. Once they were gone, Jungkook saw Maggie leave Bob's room and walk over to Rick.

The leader turned to her with a question already on the tip of his tongue, "Does he have fever?"

Maggie held a hand to her chest as she whispered back through her frown, "He's just warm."

Glenn stepped over to them, keeping his voice low to make sure Sasha wouldn't overhear, "Jim lasted almost two days before we left him."

"Time for a reality check." Jungkook turned towards Abraham who stood near the entrance, "We all leave for D.C. right now." Rosita picked up her gun and started walking over to the man.

A scoff fell from Jungkook's lips, "Daryl and Carol are gonna be back, we're not going anywhere without them."

"I respect that." Abraham nodded at Jungkook, "But there's a clear threat here to Eugene, I need to extract his ass before things get any-"

Jungkook cut him off by taking a heavy step forward, "Yeah, you think that threat won't ambush you as soon as you walk through that door?" He jabbed a finger towards the entrance behind Abraham without breaking eye contact, "Or that they won't follow you all the way to D.C.?"

Abraham's lips twitched before he swept away Jungkook's words and offered the group a nod, "If y'all don't come, good luck to you. We'll go our separate ways." The man whirled around and started walking away, Jungkook ground his teeth together and parted his lips to spit something else at his back, only to be stopped by the echo of Rick's voice.

"You leaving on foot?"

Abraham came to a pause, he tilted his head back and sucked in a breath before pushing out, "We fixed that damn bus ourselves." The man twisted around on his heel to face them and Jungkook met his gaze with a glare so venomous it could cause a man to drop dead.

"There are a lot more of us." Jungkook heard Rick's eerily quiet utter, just as he felt when the man started to stride closer and closer until he brushed past Jungkook to stand in front of him.

"You want to keep it that way?" Abraham retorted with raised brows once he was standing face-to-face with Rick, "You should come."

"Carol saved your life, we saved your life!" Jungkook spat at the man, feeling fire lick at his tongue and the back of his throat.

"Well, I am trying to save yours! Save everyone's!" Abraham shouted back - the words coming out scratchy and guttural.

Rick took a few more steps forward and lowered his voice into a deadly hiss, "We're not going anywhere without our people."

"Your people took off." Abraham shot back, causing Jungkook to flinch before his face hardened once more.

"They're coming back." Rick gritted through his teeth, his unwavering confidence in Daryl and Carol clearly visible.

"To what, pick over bones?" Abraham shouted in Rick's, causing the man to reach out and shove Abraham.

"You're not taking the bus!"

"Do not lay hands!"

The escalating situation made Jungkook reach down to grab his knife, only for Taehyung to snatch his wrist and pull him back. Rosita hissed at Abraham to stop while Glenn rushed forward to get between the two men.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Glenn shoved them away from each other, "Stop, now!" Glenn spat, glancing between the two men who didn't even look at him, only kept glaring at each other, "Do you really think that you're gonna be any safer leaving right now in the middle of the night?" Glenn echoed Jungkook's previous argument.

Abraham tore his eyes away from Rick and glared down at Glenn from over the tip of his nose, "Yeah." He nodded, glancing between Glenn's bewildered face and Rick's furious one, "Yeah."

"What about tomorrow?" Glenn questioned calmly but as he kept talking, his voice grew more desperate, "We need each other for this, we need each other to get to D.C. We can get through all of it together."

"I have an idea." Tara swerved past Jungkook and Rick to get to Abraham and Glenn, "If you stay just one more day and help, I'll go with you to D.C. No matter what." Everyone fell silent at her proposal but Tara wasn't deterred, she turned to the others, "Okay?"

The silence lingered only for a moment longer and it was shredded apart when Abraham looked at Glenn and parted his lips, "Glenn and Maggie too."

"No." Rick and Jungkook stated in unison with Rick glaring at Abraham and Jungkook peering over at Maggie's shocked face. He wouldn't let her and Glenn leave with them after just hours of reuniting with each other again. God knows what could happen on the road and he couldn't bear the thought of not being there for them if they got hurt or were in trouble.

Abraham nodded with his lips pressed into a thin line, "Good luck then, I'm not interested in breaking up what you have here." Glenn pressed a hand to his face and turned away, while Abraham jerked his head at Rosita, "Rosita, grab your gear."

"Abraham." She trailed off reluctantly.

"Now." He cut her off before turning his attention onto Eugene, "Eugene, let's go."

Jungkook's attention bounced over to the said man. He had been sitting motionlessly this entire time with his back turned to the group. Jungkook watch his shoulders grow tense but he remained unmoving as Abraham ordered him to move. The man remained unwavering and didn't even look at them, prompting Abraham to raise his voice and order him again.

"I don't want to." Eugene finally managed to mumble.

"Now." Abraham gritted, glaring at the side of his face.

"Okay." Eugene whispered and shifted to stand up, he stepped past everyone to approach Abraham and started moving towards the exit. Abraham's eyes surveyed the group before he too turned away and began marching towards the door with Eugene walking in front of him.

Jungkook watched them leave with anger fizzling at the surface of his skin, his tongue felt sharp against the roof of his mouth and lungs felt as though they were filled with poison. He wanted to march over, grab the man by his ginger moustache and smash his head in. Yet Taehyung's grab on his arm prevented him from advancing forward and kept his anger locked behind a chain.

"You're not taking the bus."

Abraham stopped dead in his tracks, not turning around as he uttered back to Rick, "Try to stop me." No one moved, no one said anything, silence consumed them and made it feel like time had just been an illusion. The tension continued to grow before it stretched itself thin and finally snapped. Rick strutted forward with heavy steps, each one digging harshly into the wooden floors as he advanced on Abraham with his hands curled into fists. Abraham exhaled a breath and shoved his rifle into Eugene's hands before swerving around to face Rick's advancing frame.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Glen shot forward just before they could crash into each other, he shoved his hands against their chests to keep them separated. Glenn dragged his eyes from one man to the other before settling his eyes onto Abraham, "You stay. You stay and help us and we will go with you."

"No." Rick shot back as soon as Glenn uttered the proposal.

"It's not your call." Glenn retorted, giving Rick a long stare that was clouded with acceptance, "You stay, help us." Glenn repeated to Abraham.

The man thought for a moment before confirming, "Half a day. Come high noon, we're taillights. I'm not waiting for the other damn shoe to drop."

Jungkook's brows creased at Abraham's words and he peered over his shoulder to look at Tae in confusion. The latter pressed his lips into a thin smile before leaning down to whisper, "I'll translate later, dear."

"And we will leave with you." Maggie spoke up, voicing her agreement to the deal, which only made Jungkook's anger evaporate and be replaced by sadness. He stared at the woman with a scowl so sharp it threatened to create wrinkles in his face. Maggie's eyes flickered over to him and her lips stretched into a brief smile that fell just as quick as it had formed.

Abraham nodded yet didn't seem satisfied by the turn of events, "Twelve hours." He glanced between Maggie and Glenn before turning away, "Then we go."

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"They think they're in control."

The plan was laid out and talked over for hours, the group made sure to cover any possible turn of events and things that could go wrong. It was risky, Jungkook was aware of it but if Gareth was as reckless and arrogant as he seemed, he would fall right into the palms of their hands.

"We're in here and they could be anywhere."

Jungkook continued to twirl his newly acquired axe between his hands, observing how the candle-light slid off the edge of the sharpened blade.

"But we know exactly where they are."

Taehyung stood at the back of the church, tossing his throwing knives at the wall to get used to the weight. The rhythmic thumps of the knives embedding in the wall filled the church, only pausing when Taehyung walked over to tug them back out. Jungkook briefly glanced up when Abraham spoke, "Plans's got stones, I'll give you that." Jungkook's eyes caught sight of Gabriel who was standing off to the side. The man was watching Taehyung carelessly toss the knives into the wall, flinching each time it embedded itself into the beams.

"Make our move before they do." Taehyung commented off-handedly as he pulled his hand back and tossed his last knife.

"That's right." Rick nodded in agreement, "They're not counting on us thinking straight."

"Are we?" Everyone's eyes flickered over to Rosita who merely quirked a brow, "I'm just making sure. It's a big play."

Rick pushed himself off of the railing he was leaning on and took a step or two closer to her, "Remember what these people are capable off." A much louder, harsher thump of a knife embedding into the wooden bannister echoed through the church, causing Jungkook'e eyes to snap over to Taehyung.

Rick's eyes lingered on him too before his head tilted towards Tyreese, who had been sitting off to the side and staring down at the ground with a conflicting emotion sprayed across his face, "Tyreese."

"Yeah?" The man mumbled without looking at them.

"You up for this?"

Tyreese didn't get to answer, being cut off by Sasha fully stepping out of Bob's room. Her eyes dragged over the group before she announced confidently, "I'm going with you." Jungkook nodded in agreement, understanding that she needed this, while Tyreese finally tore his gaze off the ground to look at his sister, "You should stay with Bob."

"No, I wanna be out there." She stated with words coated in steel, "I want to be a part of this." Her sharpened eyes swooped over the group before she pivoted around on her heel and walked back inside Bob's room. Tyreese stared up at her with parted lips before pushing himself up to his feet and walking into the room after her.

Jungkook watched the door shut behind him before exhaling a breath and looking down at his axe. The rifle he had taken from Terminus leaned against the chair next to him, propped up as a trophy of the violence he had inflicted and as a prophecy of the violence he would inflict in the future. His fingers curled tighter around the handle of the axe and gaze bounced up, zeroing in on Maggie and Glenn.

The pair were sitting by the altar, sharing a hushed conversation meant only for their ears. Jungkook stared at the pair, feeling a scowl crawl onto his face as he realised they would be leaving with Abraham when the morning comes. The thought left a bitter taste on his tongue and made him imagine ways to prevent this situation from happening. He knew they needed Abraham's group to deal with Gareth, especially now that Daryl and Carol weren't here but maybe there was a way to stop Abraham from leaving.

Their group was bigger and stronger than two people, Glenn would be against it but maybe they could knock Abraham out and tie him up until Daryl came back. Then they could all go to D.C. and there wouldn't be a reason to split up. Jungkook knew it was a shitty plan because Abraham wouldn't trust them after that and it would divide the group. But he dreaded letting Maggie and Glenn leave with these strangers they found on the road, just because a delusional man believed there was a cure that could magically save the world.

Jungkook snapped out of his brooding thoughts when Maggie herself plopped down next to him, starling him enough to flinch. He turned to look at her yet wasn't able to utter a single word when his eyes met hers. Maggie pressed her lips into a plastic smile, "We'll be fine." She whispered but Jungkook's scowl stayed unyielding and eyes remained icy.

"I don't like it." Jungkook finally pushed out, dragging his eyes away from Maggie and over to Abraham, "We've been split apart enough and now that we're finally together, it happens again."

"We will find each other again, just as we did after farm and the prison." Maggie tried to reassure him but Jungkook merely pushed out a breath between his teeth and shook his head.

"And if we don't?" He dug his tongue into his cheek and leaned back against the chair until his back met the backrest, "What if this time we don't, what if this time something happens and we never see each other again?" The coldness in his eyes melted away to reveal his inner worry, "What if we won't get to say goodbye."

"We're stronger than that." Maggie sighed with a crease forming between her brows, "We've gone through worse and now we're all together. You'll wait here for Daryl and Carol, when they come, you're going to follow us to D.C. where we will be waiting for you. If whatever Eugene needs isn't there, we're going to come back here and you're going to come back here when you realise too. Either we meet at D.C., on the road or back here but we will meet each other again."

Jungkook's lips twitched at the corners when he couldn't swallow down the short laugh that bubbled in the back of his throat, "Or maybe we could tie Abraham up and wait for Daryl and Carol to return. Doesn't look like Eugene or Rosita would mind waiting." He uttered with a smirk.

Maggie snorted with a shake of her head, "That man would give a few black eyes before he gets tied down and then a few more once we release him."

"Worth a shot." Jungkook shrugged and tilted his head to stare at her, Maggie smiled back, "Be careful, both of you." Jungkook nudged his chin towards Glenn who was currently discussing things with Abraham, Rick and Taehyung, "You're my best friends."

Tears sprung to Maggie's eyes and her nose scrunched as she nodded and reached out to wrap her arms around his neck. Jungkook immediately wrapped his own around her, placing one on her back and the other on the back of her neck. He hooked his chin around her shoulder and breathed in her scent.

"I'm glad you came to that bar and followed Rick back to the farm like a stray puppy." She huffed into his shoulder, causing Jungkook to playfully groan.

"Stop, don't say things like that."

Maggie huffed out a laugh before they pulled away from each other. They remained seated, starting another conversation that was filled with light-hearted topics and a few laughs. The air was jovial and soothing until the time came for them to execute their plan. It all began after Rick had a throughout conversation with Carl and Gabriel.

The group was silent as they blew out all the candles and submerged the church in darkness. They grabbed their bags and carried them into the bedroom before ushering Gabriel, Carl and Rosita inside to guard Judith. They picked up their weapons and hooked them onto their bodies before gathering at the entrance and pulling the door open.

They barely even looked at each other as they stepped out of the church, walked down the wooden porch and across the lawn before disappearing into the darkness of the forest.

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As soon as the person at the back of Rick's group disappeared, the cracking of branches and shuffling of bushes could be heard. Mere seconds ticked by before a man stepped out from the forest and onto the gravel road leading to the church. He was followed by more and more people until a sizeable group had gathered and all of them started walking down the path. The gravel under their boots crunched and their guns continued to bump against their hips.

When they reached the porch, they paused and surveyed the area and only continued to move forward when their leader lifted up a finger. Their movements were hesitant and eyes constantly eyed the surrounding area as one of them marched up the wooden steps and began to tear down the wooden lock that kept the door shut. When he had destroyed it, he jammed his shoulder into the door, causing it to fly open with a squeal.

"Well, I guess you know we're here." Gareth called out with a plastic sense of ease, "And we know, you're here." He addressed the trio hiding in one of the rooms of the church. Gareth's eyes swivelled around the church, "And we're armed. So, there's really no point in hiding anymore." Gareth lifted his hand and waved it in a circle, causing his group to break away from him and spread out through the church.

"We've been watching you." The floorboard creaked under their weight as they began to slither down the aisles, walking closer to the two rooms on either side of the altar, "We know who's here." Their guns were raised and aimed at the shadows, fingers already resting on the triggers, "There's Bob," Gareth taunted, voice almost resembling a tone you would use for a child, "Unless you've put him out of his misery already." He commented under his breath before continuing, "And Eugene, Rosita, Martin's good friend Tyreese." Gareth's voice continued to echo through the eerily silent, almost abandoned church, "Carl." A hint of finality seeped into his tone, "Judith."

"Rick and the rest walked out." Gareth's voice rose in volume once more, "With a lot of your guns." His tone dropped into another mumble that was only meant for himself, "One of which is a favourite of mine, I'll be happy to reunite with it." Gareth dug his tongue into his cheek and continued to creep forward, almost having made it to the alter, "Listen, we don't know where you all are, but this isn't a big place. So let's just stop this now before things get more painful than they need to be."

Silence followed and Gareth lifted a hand to gesture at the doors on either side of the altar. The group followed his order, sneaking over to the doors as silently as they could until they were pressed up against the walls on both sides of the doors. One of them grabbed at the door-handle and began to wiggle it around, only for the door to remain locked and unbudging.

"Look, you're behind one of these two doors and we have more than enough firepower to take both down." Gareth called out - irritation starting to seep into his voice, "Can't imagine that's what y'all want." The man behind him cocked his gun, ready to unload the bullets into the rooms, "How about the priest?" Gareth addressed the newest and most gullible member of their group, "Father, you help us wrap this up, we'll let you walk away from this." When the doors remained locked, Gareth continued to try and persuade Gabriel, "Just open the door and you can go. You can take the baby with you." The leader crept over to the door on the right and leaned up against its frame, "What do you say?"

The eerie silence stretched thin, just like Gareth's patience. The man gritted his teeth and pushed himself off the doorframe, turning around to face it with his gun lifted. Just as his finger was about to dig into the trigger, the sharp cry of the baby echoed from the other room. Gareth swivelled around to look at it with a smirk growing on the seam of his lips and a disgusting shine in his eye.

"I don't know, maybe we'll keep the kid." He muttered through his smile, staring at the door that shielded the crying baby, "I'm starting to like this girl."

The members all abandoned the room on the right and crowded around the room where the group hid. Two of them stood on either side of the door with Gareth watching them from the side and the other members of the group standing next to him. Their guns were cocked and aimed, ready to break it into smithereens.

"That's your last chance, right now, to tell us you're coming out."

Once again, not a word was uttered from the group hiding in the room and the door remained shut. Martin lowered his gun and peered over at Gareth sharply, "Are we done?" He questioned, annoyed with the continuous chances they had given.

Gareth exhaled a breath and waved a hand at the door, "We'll hit the hinges." The two men by the door lifted their guns and pressed their fingers against the triggers. Two, barely audible shots fizzled against Gareth's eardrums before bullets pierced into the sides of the men's heads and their brains splattered onto the walls behind them. Their bodies hit the ground while the ruby coloured blood rolled down the white falls, staining them red.

Gareth and the others whirled around to face the direction of the shots, only to be met with complete and utter darkness from the moonlight not penetrating through the windows. They blinked with their lips parted in shock, trying to adjust their eyes but the veil of black was so thick they couldn't see the entrance or who stood there.

"Put your guns on the floor."

The eerily calm voice of Rick Grimes came from the shadows.

Gareth swallowed the lump in his throat, lifting a stiff hand to point two fingers at the door where Carl and Judith hid, "Rick, we'll fire right into that office, so lower your gun-" Gareth's words were replaced by a cry of pain as a bullet shot through his fingers, slicing them clean off. The man stumbled, bending over as he clutched at his injured hand while grunting and wincing in pain.

The rest of his group flinched yet continued to watch the shadows until Rick stepped forward enough for the moonlight to lay over his nose and jaw, "Put your guns on the floor and kneel." The leader commanded with his gun raised and aimed at Gareth's head.

The group looked reluctant to follow the orders but clearly didn't know what to do in the situation. They shuffled from foot to foot and tightened their holds on their guns until Gareth managed to moan out through gritted teeth, "Do what he says." Martin clenched his jaw, still hesitating while the rest dropped their guns and lowered themselves to their knees, "Martin, there's no choice here." Gareth spat.

Martin continued to chew on his gum, still clinging onto his gun as he stared at Rick, "Yeah, there is."

"Wanna bet?"

Martin startled, whipping his head towards the voice, only to be met with the nozzle of a rifle being aimed between his brows. His eyes trailed up the massive gun and soon made contact with Jungkook's narrowed ones. The light barely caressed the slope of his nose and tangled in his raven curls, yet it was enough for recognition to flash between them.

Although it was surprising, it wasn't hard for Jungkook to recognise the man from the cabin. The same one Tyreese had said he had killed. Doesn't matter anyway. Jungkook swept the thought away, feeling his lips stretch into a psychotic smirk as he stared at the startled man. The gun was heavy in his hands and still warm from the earlier shot. His finger lingered on the trigger, eager to dig in as he watched Martin finally stop chewing and toss the gun to the ground. The man huffed a bitter chuckle before falling to his knees in front of Jungkook.

The power and control from the situation licked at his spine, creating a whirlpool of satisfaction in the pit of his belly. It felt like addicting poison on his tongue and Jungkook eagerly lapped it up.

The rest of the group rounded on the kneeling men, one by one choosing who they would stand in front of until Taehyung, too, was standing over a kneeling man and Rick was looming over Gareth with Sasha just behind him. Gareth was still coughing and snivelling over his missing fingers but once he felt Rick loom over him, he managed to pull himself together enough to straighten out and look up at him.

"No point in begging, huh?" Gareth question almost amusingly, yet his words fell flat in this situation.

Rick only continued to stare down at him from over the tip of his nose, almost like a predator surveying its prey, "No." he pushed out roughly, not evening blinking.

"Still, you could have killed us when you came in." Gareth murmured with confidence, believing there was a way and a chance of survival, "There had to be a reason for that."

Jungkook merely smiled, starting to lower his gun before leaning it up against one of the church benches next to him. He didn't dare remove his eyes from Martin, not even as he reached down to his weapon belt and unclipped his axe. His fingers lingered on the handle but as he kept staring down at Martin's greasy face, Jungkook changed his mind and pulled out his dagger instead. Martin's gaze faltered from his and then fell down to the weapon, he gulped - gaze briefly bouncing over to a kneeling Gareth before settling onto Jungkook once more.

"We didn't want to waste the bullets." Rick uttered with ease - the implication clear in his words.

Gareth released a shaky breath, rolling his words around his mouth before finally spitting out, "We used to help people, we saved people." His words grew in desperation, "Things changed, they came in and.." Gareth choked on a wheeze, bending over as pain from his hand seized his muscles. The situation started to seep into their minds, causing Gareth to choke on a cry before he gulped it back down and straightened out, "After that..." Gareth left it hanging in the air, "I know that you've been out there, but I can see it, you don't know what it is to be hungry."

Ice crusted around Jungkook's eyes and made his breaths turn cold, he stared down at Martin from over his nose as he listened to Gareth talk, "You don't have to do this, we can walk away." Gareth proposed, "And we will never cross paths again. I promise you."

"But you'll cross someone's path." Rick tilted his head, clocking his gun and briefly lifting it up to Gareth's forehead, only to lower it a moment later, "You'd do this to anyone, right?" Rick stepped closer, leaning over the kneeling man, "Besides..." Rick trailed off, hooking his hand onto the red machete strapped to his hip, "I already made you a promise."

"No!" Gareth barely managed to shout before Rick ripped the machete out of its holster and slammed the blade into neck.

Martin flinched and got ready to spring to his feet, only for Jungkook to jerk forward. He dug his nails into man's shoulder and held him down before reeling his arm back and diving it forward. The dagger jabbed into Martin's stomach. Jungkook felt the way his skin split apart like broken seams, he felt the knife tear through the muscle and crack through his ribs from the force of the thrust.

Blood splattered onto his arm and dripped down the knife until it reached his fingers. Jungkook ripped the knife back out and drove it back in with just as much force as the first time, all while staring right into Martin's petrified eyes. He pulled the knife out and plunged it again. Blood sprayed onto his shirt and as he pulled his arm back, the scarlet droplets landed on his cheek and across his nose. He continued. Plunging the knife into Martin's chest next until the man was spluttering and gurgling, reaching out to try and grab at him. The man's body tilted back until he laid onto the ground and Jungkook continued to stab into his chest until finally delivering the final blow right between his eyes.

Rough pants toppled over his bitten lips and his blown eyes remained unblinking as he jerked the knife out of the man's skull. Jungkook straightened out and stumbled up to his feet, he stared down at Martin's deformed face and unrecognisable body, feeling like a God looming over a pathetic worm. His hand trembled from the adrenaline and chest felt heavy, he sucked in heavy breaths and finally tore his gaze away.

The last gurgle from one of the others gave out, submerging the group in unnatural silence. Splatters of blood coated the walls of the church, some even having fallen onto the wooden benches. Pools of red began to gather around the mangled bodies and seep into the wooden floors. Bodies, almost unrecognisable lay scattered throughout the church with monstrous beings looming over them. His group - covered in blood and holding sharpened weapons - seemed almost dazed as they basked in the silence and desperately gulped down what had occurred.

Jungkook's wild gaze dragged over their faces until he settled on Taehyung. The man leaned against one of the wooden pillars a bit further away from him. A body of a man lay by his feet with countless stab wounds on his chest, neck and face. His stomach had been torn open from the constant stabbing, causing his guts to spill out and drape across the floorboards. Splatters of blood stained Taehyung's face and even reached his neck, his shirt and forearms were drenched, and as Taehyung reached into his pocket and pulled out a box of cigarettes, Jungkook noticed his red fingers.

Taehyung's face was swept clean of emotion and eyes had absorbed the shadows of the room. He pulled a cigarette out of the pack and placed it between his lips, and as he reached into his pocket to grab a lighter, he tilted his head and met Jungkook's gaze. Taehyung quirked a brow, flicking the lighter on and lighting the cigarette before gesturing Jungkook over with a nudge of his chin.

Jungkook exhaled a breath and shoved his knife back into its place, stepping over Martin's body on his way over to Taehyung. Distantly, he heard Rick murmur, "It could've been us." But didn't pay it much attention, only focused on reaching Taehyung. Once he did, he reached into Taehyung's pocket to pull out the pack and then the cigarette. He placed it between his lips and Taehyung flicked the lighter to light it for him.

Jungkook sucked in a breath of the poisonous smoke while Taehyung blew it out. He heard the group start to shift around and walk towards the room where the younger ones hid. Jungkook peered over his shoulder as he blew out the smoke and caught sight of Gabriel standing by the door - taking in the sight before him. His face was pale and eyes were blown wide, lips parted yet he didn't seem to be breathing, didn't even flinch as the group moved past him to enter the room behind him.

Gabriel took a trembling step forward, then another until he stood in front of the altar and was able to see the entire church. His head swivelled around and eyes bounced from body to body until he paused onto Maggie, "This is the Lord's house." He stuttered weakly.

"No." Maggie's voice broke the silence that had fallen over the group, "It's just four walls and a roof."