┊ ˚➶ ｡˚𝓤𝓷𝓭𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓛𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓸𝓯 𝓪 𝓣𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓼𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓢𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓼 ˚｡➶˚┊

It was official: she hated Park.

Although she made that mental claim at least fifty times during the eternity they knew each other, Y/n wondered if she had ever hated him as much as she hated him now.

Four months after rescuing Kastor, they were planning their huge heist on the Emperor's bank. Gestorben, the bunker the Emperor kept all his money in. Without that money, the rebellion couldn't prosper like Y/n wanted it too. There was one problem.

Commander Park.

"Are you seriously backing out now?" Y/n asked, slamming the door shut behind her. She didn't feel bad about barging into his room. After finalizing the details of the plan, Park randomly said he couldn't do it anymore. His part of the plan was the most important. As the commander of the Emperor's guard, he had to distract them to allow Y/n and the others to slip inside. Not only that, but he had to provide them with uniforms. He already trained them to walk and act like the guards.

"Look at what you're doing," Park replied, running a hand through his hair. "You're going into territory I can't follow. You're asking too much of me this time."

"You were okay with it for months. Why is it only a problem two days before the heist?"

"It's too dangerous. We're growing every day. Just because you have new recruits for this mission-"

"Shut up, you know damn well this is a great plan! Why are you backing out?"

Park ruffled his hair, brushing by her without answering. She followed, grabbing him by the elbow and not caring what discomfort it brought him. In the moment, all she saw was rage. He was the only one who could make this plan work. Without him, they'd have to go in blind. They'd have to make up new cover stories, find a way to distract the guards, and find an easier way to get inside the bunker. The entirety of this plan relied on Park. Now, he was backing out with no notice.

"You're getting us inside that bunker. Don't leave us hanging like this. Park, please. We need you. Do you want me to beg?"

"That'd be pretty amusing, so yeah, would you?" Park asked, his eyes lighting up.

"Please just tell me why. Stop with this 'it's dangerous' bullshit. The farm was dangerous. The hotel was dangerous. My entire life has been dangerous-"

"Well not like this!" Park interrupted. He stalled, dialing down from his previous rage and composing himself. "You haven't faced danger like this before. At least you're not bringing Kastor this time, but it doesn't change how you'll lose higher-ups in the rebellion if this fails."

"We're leaving Taehyung and Jin here. We'll still have two. And you."

"You consider me a higher-up? What kind of sick joke is this?"

"I'm serious, Park. We trust you." She paused, releasing his elbow. "I trust you, too."

Park snorted. "That's a dumb decision. No wonder why you never went to school."

He walked away, but Y/n stormed after him, moving in front of him and preventing him from going any further. "Tell me the real reason you don't want to do this, then I'll drop it."

Park huffed. "I don't do deals and bargains, princess. I'm a soldier, not a politician. If I ever have to be a politician, please shoot me."

"Park," she said, sternly. "Stop dodging the question. Why do you want to back out?" He stayed quiet. "Park." Still, nothing. "Park I swear-"

"Namjoon's gonna be there," Park said. His voice was soft. Like a whisper. "He hasn't ratted me out. I don't know how much longer I can push my luck."

"So that's what this is. Self-preservation."

"Obviously. Why else would I back out?"

"You're such a fucking asshole. We're trying to make a difference. You know damn well our plan relies on you, and you give us a two day notice? We can't reschedule this. We brought in psychologists from the Rocklands to help with the psychological toll of the mission. That's without mentioning the people we've trained for this. We trained a whole squad with your help, in case you forgot." Y/n pushed him back, crossing her arms over her chest. "You're scared, aren't you? You're so used to being invincible that being this close to death terrifies you."

"Always prying," Park said with a groan.

"Tell me I'm wrong. Tell me you aren't being a big dumb baby about this."

"I've been called a lot of things," Park replied, whistling. "Gotta say, big dumb baby is a new one."

"Always dodging the question."

Park flashed her an eye smile. "It's a Park specialty. Are we done here?" When she didn't speak, he nodded. "See you around. Good luck." He slid by her, Y/n swiveling to watch as he started to move away. "There are dozens of ways to unite the districts without going to a bunker. We have to pick our battles more carefully. If you don't want to-"

"If you do this, I'll save your brother."

Park froze, staying silent for far too long. "What?" he asked, his voice a painful, trembling murmur.

"The bunker is one step down from the castle. If we can do the bunker, we can do the castle. We'll save your brother. If we can, we'll kill the Emperor and free both of you from him. If not, then we won't have the resources, money, and support to break into the castle. We need this bunker, Park. You know that."

Park turned back around, his eyes unreadable. "Would you get Captain Jung's approval?"

"I already have it. You know we've been trying to get to the castle. With this last heist, we'll convince Moros we're worthy. We can join forces and take out the Emperor. We'll save your brother."

"Alright, L/n. I'll give you credit: your prying paid off. You know my weak spots."

"They're pretty easy to spot nowadays. I could always ask Kastor-"

"You're pushing it," he interrupted, chuckling for a moment. "Fine, but let's get to the others and limit my involvement. If I can stay out of most of this, I'd like to."

Y/n agreed, the two traveling to the living room. Captain Jung and Jungkook were still there, along with three other faces. Two women, one man. They were recruits who joined back when the farm got set on fire. They led a rally in the outskirts, protesting for better conditions. Jaime, the man, was their Jin. He shot all the promos and helped spread the word. Now, the outskirts were on their side. All they needed was the City. Flerry was already rebellion territory. They had some upper districts to handle, same with Moros, but if the City switched to the rebel's side, the Emperor would be set at a massive disadvantage.

Jaime stepped forward, his mismatched eyes meeting hers. One of them was blue, the other a sharp hazel that lit up the otherwise dim room. His thick, bushy eyebrows knit together as he pointed to the table with his three-fingered hand. The map of the bunker was there, marked with all the 'weak' points. Not that there were many.

"I can help Jungkook hack the bunker terminal, but there's no guarantee we can get in. This tech isn't what we're used to seeing. We'd be going in blind," he said, an accent pulling on his tone. "Any chance the Emperor's whore changed his mind?"

Commander Park, who stood next to Y/n, flashed the man a grin. "Nice to know no one likes me after all this time. I'll help, but limited. I'm not going to go inside the bunker with you. I'll get the passcode and get you in, but from there, you're on your own. I'll wait by the train to help get you out safely. I'll bring Shadow and some friends of hers so you can ride out."

"And what about the train itself?" one of the women, Aisha, said. She pulled her silver locks back into a low ponytail, the rubber band threatening to snap because of the weight of her thick hair. "Will it be there?"

"I checked this morning. The train is still there," Park replied, pointing to the map. "If you go to the vault, they have a train waiting there to go to the surface. Lock down the elevators, clear the area, and haul as much gold as you can onto that train. Once you use that train, you can't take it back. It's meant to be disposable. Only for one trip to the surface. It's an emergency exit, if you will. That's why it's still there."

"So we get to the bunker, go to the vault, clear the area, load the train with gold, then get to the surface," Captain Jung said, pointing to each respective spot on the map. "Tana, you have our weapons?"

"Always, Capt'," she said, placing the assault rifles on top of the map. "Thanks to Commander Park, of course."

"Oh look, someone's giving me credit for my hard work," Park said, pausing to sharply nudge Y/n. "Would be nice if someone did the same."

"Let's focus," Y/n said instead, Jaime coming up behind her and pulling on his grime-covered tunic. He wiped his three fingers off and picked up one of the weapons.

"It'll be hard to carry," he said, referring to his one weak hand with only a thumb, index, and middle finger. "Any chance your soldiers take people like me?"

"Not really," Park said with a tongue click. "But we'll be wearing gloves. Stuff yours with some leaves. They won't tell the difference. Hopefully you'll only have to hack, not shoot. Worry about hacking the train."

The plan was a mixture of complicated and simple. Y/n couldn't tell if her head was spinning, or if it was focused. They had disguises Park gathered over the past few months. They'd take the uniforms, go to the bunker, and blend in. Park taught them how the Emperor's guard walks. They learned a few of the important codes, and Park even stole code numbers from the data bank with the help of Jungkook and Jaime. Tana and Aisha were their foot soldiers due to their remarkable aim. Y/n and Hoseok were there as leaders while Jaime and Jungkook were the hackers.

First step was Park. He'd send them in, line up all the groups for evaluation, and assign patrols. The rebels would have first patrol. Jungkook and Jaime would sneak to the top of the walls, plant EMP charges, and take the first half of the base offline. While panic ensued, they'd take control of the vault. Next to the vault was the train that went to the surface. The only issue with it was the exit point was too far from the bunker. If someone couldn't make it to the train in time, that was it. They'd die.

"Tana's left-handed, make sure she looks natural by keeping her on the inside," Park said, demonstrating with his hands how she'd hold her weapon. He held the rifle like a natural, even while left-handed. "Remember you only start shooting when you get to the bunker. Don't get me involved in this. I'd rather not kill any guards."

"Whatever you say," Jungkook replied, taking the rifles, including the one Park held. "I'll go clean them with Aisha. Come on."

The two left, and Y/n couldn't help but admire Aisha's wide figure. Since they were disguising as guards, they had to take the time to exercise and build muscle. If they wanted to blend in, being on the verge of starvation wouldn't be a good look. They needed muscle. Harsh demeanors. Park taught them all that, helping them exercise and hunt to have larger portions. He even stole from the second farm, although it wasn't much seeing as the Emperor was still suffering from the farm attack all those months ago.

Tana took the map and nudged Captain Jung, signaling him to follow her. They left, Tana's ginger hair almost hitting Y/n in the face as she went. It was thick and curly, but before the mission, she promised to cut it as close to her head as possible. Still, she'd stand out due to her muscular frame and plethora of freckles.

That left Jaime, Y/n, and Park. Park didn't care, and he left without saying goodbye. She glanced at Jaime, who shrugged and walked off. She didn't bother watching him go. Instead, she went right after Park. She waited outside his door, holding up her hand. It was hard to know if he'd welcome her presence. Nowadays, they were either tangled up in bed, or threatening to kill each other. Thanks to tensions rising, more often than not they were threatening to kill each other.

She waited about thirty seconds, thankful no one was in the hallway, awkwardly staring at her. After, she went in. Knocking was pointless; he wouldn't answer anyway.

Y/n stepped in and saw him laying down, a book in his hands. She froze, tilting her head at the sight of the ancient art. The cover was worn, dirt covering it. She couldn't even read the title.

"I didn't know you were ambidextrous," Y/n said, Park shrugging without taking his eyes off the paper.

"The Emperor forced me to be. I struggled with learning basic things because of it. Couldn't even learn math too well. That's another reason why I never went to school. They tried, but it didn't work thanks to the Emperor."

"As always."

"As always," Park said, whistling in agreement. He kept reading, Y/n coming closer.

"I didn't think there were any books left."

"There aren't, really. I scavenged some from the wreckages of old towns. I wish I knew what it was like before the wars. Before the Emperor took over. They used to be so creative. Every book is different," Park said, staring at the book with longing. "Some are in other worlds, others are grounded in reality, and some have a mix of both. No matter what, they always have such amazing details. They describe everything like it's precious. Like it's the last thing the writer wanted to hold onto."

"Is that what you want?" At Park's confusion, she came over and sat on the side of the bed. "Writing. Do you want to write?"

"I don't think my four-fingered hand would agree with that-"

"You're ambidextrous."

He chuckled. "Okay. Touché."

"You're dodging the question."

"You're supposed to be the stupid, brash one, not the observant one," he mumbled, closing the book and letting it rest on his chest. "We don't have much paper at the castle, but when we do, I like to give it to Jihyun so he can draw and write. Maybe I'm jealous of that."

"But you're the one who gives it to him. Why don't you keep some for yourself?"

"He deserves it more than me," he said, keeping his voice as soft as a murmur. "I murder people every day. I cut off their heads, burn their homes, slaughter their families... it makes me think: why do I get to keep my family? Why do I get the privilege of writing and drawing? My brother's never hurt a soul, so he deserves it. Not me." She opened her mouth, but he snorted. "And don't even start with the 'you were forced to' bullshit. It doesn't change that I've fed a system. I made the system, Y/n. Whether I wanted to or not, I caused the deaths of tens of thousands of people. I've caused thousands more to suffer." He held up the book, shaking it back and forth with a grin. "There's no place in this story where I get a happy ending."

"Maybe. But we're fighting to give you a fair chance. Can you trust me?"

He laughed. "If I had to choose between getting flayed and trusting you, I'd choose getting flayed."

Although he said it in a joking manner, she sighed. His smile faltered. She leaned down, kissing his forehead and lingering there for longer than she should. When she pulled back, she sat back up, Park staring at her with curious, wide eyes. She gave him the smile he lost, hoping it'd bring his back.

"I'll see you in two days, Park."

┊ ˚➶ ｡˚˚｡➶˚┊

The bunker was terrifying.

As Y/n sat, she stared at the tracks. The underground train would come up to the surface on the tracks before her. It wasn't exactly a station, but it was a short track for the train to park. It was a clearing about a half mile away from the bunker. Still, they could see it. There was a giant wall surrounding the back of it, protecting it from attacks from behind. She had a feeling the only reason why it didn't have a wall at the front was because of budget. They likely spent it all on the first wall and the train.

There was a hole in the earth, like a mouth to a cave. It was dark, leading to the abyss that was the bunker. She could see the tracks stretching up and waving to her as they broke free to the surface, basking in the light of the setting sun. The night sky crept in, stars beginning to shine as the distant trees blew in the soft wind. The forest wasn't far behind them while the bunker was in front of them. Once they got what they needed, they'd run to the forest and get to Shadow and her friends. Park brought them in one at a time, first with Shadow since she was his loyal animal. He gradually took them from the stables so it wasn't as noticeable.

"Remember," Park said, kneeling next to her. "Once that train goes, there's no turning back. There's no reverse track or a spot to turn around. We're too far from the bunker to go back for anything. Maybe a five minute run away, but at that point, there'd be too much chaos to consider it."

"I know."

"I know you know, but it's important. If you leave anyone or anything behind..."

"Accept it," Y/n mumbled, rubbing her forehead. "That vault is the most important part of the mission. If something's gonna go wrong, it'll go wrong there."

"Or anywhere, really. Maybe they won't buy the disguises, or they'll question you too much, or the EMP won't work, or Jungkook and Jaime can't hack the train, or-"

"Park?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

"Alright imbeciles," Hoseok said as he approached, kicking Park so he fell over. Park grunted and flipped him off. "We need to get moving."

Hoseok, like the others, wore crimson armor with a rifle strapped around him. He had a knife hidden in one of his black boots, a sidearm holstered on the utility belt hanging off his waist. He had a mask covering his face, as did the rest of them. They had no helmets to protect them from sword strikes, but they didn't need them. Seeing as the bunker had all the Emperor's money, he made sure every guard had firearms instead of swords. It was why the rest of New Theon's guards were stuck with swords. This was where the budget went.

"Get up, it's time to go. Commander, you get to the bunker first."

Park obeyed Hoseok, getting up and giving Y/n one last glance before strolling away. He sped up, hustling to get to the bunker as quickly as possible. They'd circle around and enter from the left side, that way it wouldn't look like Park and the group came from the same direction.

"Are you ready?" Hoseok asked, tugging on his golden mask and making sure his rifle was loaded.

"Not really."

Tana, Aisha, Jungkook, and Jaime stayed off to the side, chatting amongst each other and laughing. Tana had two chipped teeth and a scar beneath her plump lower lip. She told the story that she hit her face off a tree while running from guards. That was two months ago, according to her. Aisha had a similar story, only for her thigh. She tripped and landed on a sharp piece of bark, which had to be stitched up by Jaime, the inexperienced doctor. The outskirts didn't play around. When they rebelled, they went hard. They didn't care if it cost them their lives.

Hoseok held onto the necklace underneath his shirt. She couldn't see it since it was hidden from plain sight, but she knew what it was without having to ask.

"I never thought I'd pray," Hoseok whispered, peering at the cloudless sky. "But if he can hear me..."

"He'd be proud, Hobi," Y/n replied, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Just like the rest of us."

"No, none of you should be proud. I've done nothing but hide and let you do all the work."

"And yet, here you are. About to make history. He'd be proud, just like all of us."

Hoseok gave her a soft smile. "Even if I'm scared?"

"Sir, with all due respect, I'm about to shit my pants."

He laughed, giving her a small nudge before taking her to the others. They sat with them, watching as Tana told a story. She talked with her hands, throwing them around and making crazy facial expressions.

"And then Aisha cut his head off. No remorse," Tana said, her voice deep and rough.

"Sounds like someone I know," Y/n replied, snorting. The others laughed with her, waiting fifteen minutes before deciding to move. They circled around as planned, going from the left side. Together, they ran. When they got closer, they slowed to a march. The same march Park showed them. And it worked out seeing as they were right on time. All the squads were outside, awaiting their orders.

Although they had a job to do, Y/n couldn't help herself. She paused for a beat, gazing at the concrete wall that towered over her. It casted a shadow over the greenery she stepped in. There were no scratches or dents on the giant wall. It had to be over a hundred feet high. In front of it was the bunker, a rhombus-shaped structure with double doors that seemed as though they couldn't be broken. They were as thick as Aisha's hair, the gray building calling to them. However, they had to wait.

They stopped in sync, staying close to another squad. There were over a dozen squads made up of varying numbers. Some had six, others had ten, others had four. Commander Park and Kim Namjoon were in the middle, overseeing the process. They gave orders to every squad, the line slowly but surely moving along.

Soon enough, it was their turn. Y/n was in front with Captain Jung, their faces hidden well. Namjoon was scribbling in a notepad, too busy to notice the task at hand.

"Codes," Park said, no emotion in his tone.

"713, 586, 709, 555, 523, and 780, sir," Hoseok said.

"Ah, five and seven hundreds, eh? We could use marksmen like you. Get on first patrol."

"Yes sir."

Park let them pass, Namjoon scribbling that down. It seemed as though they were keeping track of which guards went where. Park wasn't kidding when he told them the Emperor was tightening security. Even the guards weren't safe.

The grassy terrain brushed by their feet as they climbed the small hill to the bunker. There were elevators inside, leading to either the vault or the top of the walls. First patrol went to the walls to ensure they were safe. That meant they had to split up.

They approached the enormous double doors, Hoseok going toward the panel and entering the code Park provided them with before the mission: '0613.'

The doors parted and revealed the murky interior. There were white lights planted in the ceiling, the metal floors creaking every time they took a step, the patrols inside staying at attention and not glancing in their direction.

They didn't slow down. The march they learned worked perfectly for the environment. The corridor was long but narrow, crates of various supplies thrown on both sides. The two elevators were in the back, guarded by four men. They were stoic with masks covering their faces. All four of them carried firearms identical to the ones Y/n's group were holding.

The two elevators were curved like a half-cylinder, the metal doors shut and waiting for them to enter. They went down the hallway, not pressing their luck by locking eyes with any of the guards. Y/n stayed in the front with Hoseok as they approached the left elevator. They pressed their weapons against their chests, keeping their fingers near the trigger, but not quite on it. It was the trigger discipline Park taught them. He also taught them how to shoot. Despite all their experience with rebelling, they had never trained with firearms. It wasn't like they were easy to get.

"First patrol. Commander's orders," Hoseok said.

"Codes," one of the two men said.

"713, 586, 709, 555, 523, and 780."

The man's dark eyes bulged. "Right away, sir. My apologies, I didn't realize you were five and seven hundreds."

"It's no problem. Two of our squad members are going to the walls to ensure the patrol procedures are going smoothly. The rest of us are going to the vault to help our friends. Mind sending these two up to the walls while we go down?" Hoseok asked, the man nodding rapidly.

"Yes sir, right away, sir. Those two first."

Jungkook and Jaime went inside the all-white interior of the elevator, the door sliding shut and shooting them up to the top of the wall. The rest of them stayed quiet, both guards refusing to make eye contact. Y/n kept her gaze straight ahead. Just like Park taught her.

Soon enough, the elevator came back. It was their turn. Y/n forced her clammy hands to stick to her gloves, causing the moisture to slip off her and onto the fabric. She entered the elevator with the others, getting in formation and keeping her grip on the rifle. Seconds later, the door shut. The movement hit her body and almost sent her falling back if it weren't for Tana holding her in place.

"Thanks," Y/n mumbled, Tana dipping her head. Her ginger locks were reduced to a buzzcut, but the freckles near her cyan eyes were dominant on her face. Even with the mask, Y/n could see the arch on the girl's otherwise thin nose.

The elevator went down and down. It felt as though they were riding for ages by the time it finally stopped. The bright light faded as soon as the entrance opened to reveal a dim, colorless vault. There was a walkway waiting for them, made up of shuddering metal with guards marching up and down them. The stairs led to the vast concrete floors, the train resting in the middle. It was massive, but somehow, it only had two cars: the cargo and the head.

Y/n and Hoseok pushed off together, entering the vault and seeing just how many guards there were. When Jungkook and Jaime returned, they'd lock down the elevators and prepare to attack. Y/n swallowed what she could and continued to move, glancing at the steam hissing around the rectangular inside of the vault. Near the right corner, there was a gate blocking off all the gold. Well over two dozen guards were marching up and down, checking in with each other and laughing. It was strange, really. They almost seemed human.

For all the time Y/n had been fighting them, she had never seen them having conversations with one another. Yet there they were, chatting up a storm, taking swigs from the same flask, and never bothering to put their fingers anywhere near their triggers.

"Almost there," Hoseok whispered, Y/n focusing on the task at hand.

The jagged ceiling was made out of rocks that spiked down and threatened to take her head off if she jumped. The group of four went down the creaking stairs. Their boots hit the concrete, no guards bothering to glance in their direction. That meant they had a straight shot to the gold. To the key to their future. It was right in front of her.

All she had to do was wait.

┊ ˚➶ ｡˚𝓤𝓷𝓭𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓛𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓸𝓯 𝓪 𝓣𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓼𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓢𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓼 ˚｡➶˚┊