"This isn't working!" shouted Suga as he swung the board in his hands again. For whatever reason, Guy reminded Namjoon of the Matrix. He was able to twist and bend to avoid all their attempts to hit him.

"I think I can see that!" said Namjoon.

"You two are so foolish to think you can stop me when all I have to do to stop you is use a single touch."

Both Suga and Namjoon - who were panting a bit from their effort to hit him - watched in wide-eyed horror as Guy removed one of his gloves so that his hand was bare.

'We're screwed,' thought Namjoon.

- - -

"So that man out there - the one that saved me from my statued fate - he's his grandson?"

Hobi - who was crouched in the stall beside Taehyung - nodded his head vigorously. The two of them had just got acquainted, realizing the fact that they both knew Namjoon's grandfather.

"He freed Suga and me too technically. Before we were nothing more than machines, but now...now we're humans like you."

Taehyung didn't understand what the excitable man beside him meant. All he knew was that Namjoon had saved them all. Taehyung didn't understand how or why, but he wasn't going to question it. Hearing the continued fighting, Hobi moved to poke his head up over the stall like a groundhog. He saw that Namjoon and Suga were struggling as he popped his head back down and looked at Taehyung.

"I can't just sit here. I need to help them."

"I'll come with you," said Taehyung.

Taehyung got up and tried to stand, falling completely backwards into Hobi not even seconds later.

"Sorry. I haven't been able to move in a while," said Taehyung. "My legs feel numb."

"Numb? How do you make them unnumb?"

"I just need to shake them awake is all," said Taehyung as he sat on his butt. He grabbed a pant leg and tried to move his leg gently up and down with one hand.

"Oh! I can help you!" said Hobi as he moved to Taehyung's other leg to do what Taehyung was doing only faster.

"What the heck are you doing?!"

"Waking your leg up."

"Are you really or are you just trying to rip it off? Geezum, slow down!"

- - -

The tide of Namjoon and Suga's combined efforts was slowly starting to turn for the worse. At the last swing of the board from Suga, Namjoon ended up getting smacked in the face by it. In cupping his face, Namjoon stumbled backwards and ended up on his butt near Guy. With one hand over his face, Namjoon could see Guy smirk as he walked closer to him with an ungloved hand.

"Guess you get to go first. That's an interesting position to freeze in, but I'll find an artistic spin for it."

Namjoon could see Guy's hand getting closer and closer to him. Suga could too from where he stood. Though Suga found Namjoon irritating and stubborn, he couldn't bring himself to let anything happen to him. He'd be crappy security if he did. Just as Guy's hand was about to touch Namjoon's forearm, Suga dove at Namjoon. He half landed on top of him, causing Guy's hand to touch him instead of Namjoon.

Instantly, Suga and Namjoon both watched in horror as Suga's fleshy hand became white marble; the effect slowly but steadily traveling up his hand and then his arm.

"You might want to choose a pretty pose to remain in for the rest of your life," said Guy as Suga turned to look at Namjoon. As the Suga locked eyes with Namjoon, he could see the fear in his eyes.

"Run," said Suga. "Now!"

- - -

Hearing Suga yell 'run', Hobi stopped trying to help Taehyung to get feeling back into his limbs, moving to peek out again at the scene that was going on. Hobi's eyes widened in horror when he saw Suga turning into a marble statue right before him.

"Oh no. This is not good."

Taehyung grimaced for a second as he moved to crawl over to where Hobi was, peeking his head out to look at what Hobi was seeing. The change was affecting Suga quickly just like it had for him once upon a time. Taehyung shuddered at the memory of becoming frozen. If only he had listened to the words of Namjoon's grandfather.

Meanwhile Namjoon stumbled to his feet. He didn't want to leave Suga, but Guy was currently advancing towards him so he didn't have a choice. Namjoon turned to run back towards the stall where he had left Taehyung, nearly barreling into the two of them.

Guy looked at Namjoon running off and disappearing into a stall, smirking a bit before turning to look down at the slowly paralyzing Suga on the ground before him. The marbelization had reached both of his forearms and his thighs. His eyes blazed with anger as he glared at Guy. Guy's smirk widened a bit as he crouched down in front of Suga.

"I'm sure you want to punch me right now. Too bad you can't."

Suga smirked then, puckering his lips before spitting right into Guy's face.

"No, but I can do that," said Suga, watching as Guy wiped his face with the hand that was still gloved.

- - -

"No! Hobi, you can't go out there!" hissed Namjoon as he grabbed Hobi's arm, dragging him back down beside him and Taehyung in the stall. "We can't go out there without a plan!"

Taehyung stayed paled near the back of the stall as he thought back on when Namjoon's grandfather and him had both been side-by-side in the stall, hiding from Guy much like now. Namjoon turned away from Hobi and looked at Taehyung, seeing the haunted look in his eyes. It reminded him a lot of himself. Namjoon only recognized it because he too had that look in his eyes once in a while in front of his older brother.

"Your name is Taehyung, right?" asked Namjoon as he reached out his free hand to touch Taehyung's arm and jerk him from his mind and back to reality.

Taehyung nodded his head quickly in reply as he flicked his eyes to lock with Namjoon's.

"I know this is a terrifying circumstance to meet under and I know that we're strangers, but I want you to trust us. You aren't alone, okay? You're safe now," said Namjoon.

Taehyung nodded his head again; a faint smile on his lips before it faded as he turned his head towards the sound of Guy's laughter as it echoed throughout the barn.

"One statue down. Just two more to go. My buyer will be pleased to know the collection he is about to purchase has expanded. You don't know how long I've waited for this buyer. Waited for this wealth. I deserve it, and I won't let you stop me from getting it."

"What are we going to do?" asked Hobi in whispered panic.

Namjoon tried to think as he heard Guy's footsteps coming closer to them. Obviously trying to smack Guy amounted to nothing. All he had had to do to best one of them was dodge their blows and touch them.

"Wait! I have an idea!" said Namjoon as he looked at the expectant Hobi and Taehyung, "But I need someone as bait."

- - -

"You can't hide forever," said Guy, turning to look over his shoulder at the statued version of Suga on the ground. In his head, he was already trying to think of a way to pitch it to his buyer. When he turned back around, he smirked to see that Hobi was standing before him in all his lime green glory.

"Decided to face the music then, huh?" asked Guy.

"No I didn't decide to face the music. I decided to face you," said Hobi so innocently that it caused a bark of laughter to leave Guy.

"You're such a moron," said Guy as he walked closer to Hobi as Hobi took one small step backwards. "You won't be missed."

Namjoon - meanwhile - watched from where he was crouched in the stall with Taehyung as Hobi took a few more steps backwards as Guy kept advancing on him. Namjoon's eyes remained on Guy's ungloved hand as he held it out towards Hobi.

"I'll be right back," said Namjoon, turning to Taehyung briefly before slipping out of the stall. Guy and Hobi were just enough ahead of them that Namjoon was hoping he could sneak around behind Guy without him noticing.

Taehyung moved forward a bit to watch what was happening, horrified when Guy turned over his shoulder to look at Namjoon.

"Ah. So there you are," said Guy as he looked at Namjoon. "What are you doing behind me? Trying to hide in my shadow?"

Taehyung watched Guy's bare hand move towards Namjoon, looking about him for something to throw. He found a rock lying in the stall, grabbing it up and chucking it at Guy's head.

Not seeing the rock coming, it hit Guy in the side of the head, causing him to let out a yelp of pain. His eyes turned towards the culprit, widening in shock when he saw Taehyung stand before him in the stall doorway. Taehyung could feel himself tremble staring Guy directly in the eyes.

"How are you not still a statue?" asked Guy.

"I was set free," said Taehyung meekly as he tried to keep himself from flicking his gaze away from Guy.

"How?!"

Taehyung kept his lips shut as Guy turned away from both Namjoon and Hobi to focus on Taehyung. Guy began to slowly walk closer to him. Taehyung tried to remain strong, putting his hands out on either side of him so they could grip the walls of the stall tightly.

"If I recall correctly, you were quite meek when I first met you. You didn't talk back to anyone because you didn't have anyone," said Guy.

Pain flickered in Taehyung's eyes at Guy's words; his fingers gripping the stall walls even tighter than before as Guy slowly but surely closed the gap between them.

"So tell me - my pretty statue - who freed you?"

Taehyung kept his glassy gaze on Guy's leering face. He wouldn't betray Namjoon even though every fiber of his being was afraid. Namjoon's words played through his mind. Guy was wrong. He wasn't alone now. He had whoever these odd people were, and they had given him the chance again to not remain paralyzed in fear but to stand up and do something; to be someone of his own making.

"Not you..." said Taehyung before using his hands to push his body up off the ground, swinging both legs forward so that his feet came in contact with an overly sensitive and vulnerable spot on Guy.

Guy tumbled backwards, landing on his back on the ground with his hands automatically moving to cup the sensitive area that Taehyung had unceremoniously kicked. Guy had been so quick to protect himself that he didn't realize that he was cupping himself with an ungloved hand. That is, not until he felt an odd sensation take over his body. Guy froze on the ground as he looked to see marble creeping up his legs. In anger, his gaze turned to look at Taehyung who still stood before him.

"If I'm going down, you're going down with me!"

Guy tried to roll his body to make a grab at Taehyung, but Namjoon was quicker. Namjoon grabbed up the rock that Taehyung had thrown earlier, tossing it at Guy's straining hand so that he had no choice but to bring it back in closer to him due to the pain. Namjoon moved to stand beside Taehyung after as Hobi moved to stand on Taehyung's other side. The three of them watched as Guy glared at them, slowly turning to marble.

"This isn't over," he threatened. "I'll see you all again."

Soon Guy's threats were silenced; the man completely turned into a marble statue on the ground before the three of them. Namjoon turned sideways to look at Taehyung as he slung an arm about his shoulders.

"You did it, Taehyung! You saved us!"

"Yeah...yeah I guess I did."

Namjoon noticed how white in the face Taehyung was, furrowing his brows as he tightened his grip about Taehyung.

"Hey are you okay?"

"Yeah...yeah I just..."

Taehyung's eyes rolled up into the back of his head as his body lurched backwards in a faint. Namjoon was quick to catch Taehyung before he made contact with the floor.

"Is he dead?!" asked Hobi alarmed.

"No. He's fine," said Namjoon as he moved to kneel on the ground with Taehyung in his arms. "He just fainted from the shock is all. He'll be okay in a minute."

Hobi nodded as his eyes turned towards the still frozen Suga.

"Can you do to him what you did to fix Taehyung?" asked Hobi. "I miss him."

Namjoon looked at where Suga was, nodding his head.

"Come hold Taehyung and I'll go wake Suga up."

Hobi nodded as he crouched on the floor, moving to cradle the still passed out Taehyung in his arms as Namjoon got up and went over to Suga. Once he reached Suga, Namjoon crouched down in front of him and reached out a hand to touch his knee. It took a minute, but soon the marble effect that Guy had had on him started to fade away. Within a minute or two, Suga was letting out a soft groan as he looked at Namjoon.

"Took you long enough," complained Suga as Namjoon sighed. He should have known better than to expect a thank you.

- - -

AN: I know this is an odd place to pause it - but if I kept going - then the chapter would be way too long. Thank you for all your support so far with this insane story of mine!

What are your thoughts so far? Do you have a favorite character? Any guesses about what is going to happen next?

See you all in the next chapter! 💜💜💜