~11:32~

"Help me carry him God dammit!" Jimin yells, straining to pick up Jungkook's unconscious body.

"I'm on it," Jin replies, rushing over and grabbing the Executive's legs. The last Goliath fell thanks to Yoongi, but not before doing damage to Jungkook. He threw Jungkook all the way to the other side of the road, right into a building.

Jimin holds the boy as tightly as he can. "Baekhyun, Y/N, Seulgi, go get the Moon and get her warmed up, everyone else stay here and guard us. We are leaving!" Jimin shouts. The three he assigned immediately get moving.

He struggles to carry Jungkook, but doesn't give up. Jimin was facing the front, battling the last Goliath when he heard the most sickening cracking sound he's ever heard. When he saw Jungkook lying there, his heart stopped. He's not losing his best friend: he needs to get him out of here and fast.

"Shit, his head is bleeding," Jimin mutters, noticing the blood covering his arms. "We need to move faster."

"We'll get him back, don't worry," Jin says, but Jimin doesn't totally believe him. Jimin feels guilty for everything. Maybe Baekhyun was right. Look at where his actions got them. Jungkook is here, in Jimin's arms, unconscious and bleeding from his head. All because Jimin agreed to be a monster hunter for Kai. He didn't even ask his crew about it, he just accepted. Maybe the only monster here is Jimin.

He forces himself out of his thoughts. Self-deprecation won't help anyone right now. Jimin's still the Captain; he needs to keep moving forward. If he can't, how can he expect his crew to? He shakes his head, keeping up his pace. The good news is they didn't make it too far into the city. The bad news is there's a hundred fucking Goliaths running around the area. Where the hell did they come from? How the hell did Kai not notice them before? How the hell are they not where the crew is right now? Jimin pushes the questions away. Jungkook comes first. He has to.

Taehyung stays close, scanning over the area anxiously. Jimin feels bad for the boy, but doesn't have enough time to offer him a comforting glance. They keep moving until they turn down the first road they were on.

"Shit, keep moving!" Yoongi says, storming forward as the rumbling starts once again. "Taehyung, Hoseok, with me." They nod, stepping forward with Yoongi just as a Goliath takes the turn with them. This one looks bigger than the rest, so Jimin jolts and almost drops Jungkook. "Keep moving Jimin! Don't wait for us!"

Jimin can't help but agree. As much as he'd love to help his crew, Jungkook is part of his crew too. He can't risk losing him. They watch as the three open fire, shooting rapidly. The Goliath slows, but doesn't give up. They back up on instinct, hurrying away as the creature closes in.

"Keep firing!" Yoongi says, and everyone obeys.

The Goliath roars as it swipes out, narrowly missing Hoseok. "Shit!" Hoseok says in a yelp, jumping back. Taehyung shoots him right in the face, causing the Goliath to groan and fall over for a moment. It still tries to crawl forward, but a quick two shots from Yoongi puts him down.

Jimin gulps as they reach the exit, pushing through and watching as the Moon starts flying towards them. They didn't park too far away, but Baekhyun wanted to get closer. They land only a couple dozen feet away, which Jimin is grateful for. Y/N comes rushing out, hopping onto the surface while the Moon is still in the process of landing. She comes towards them, panting and falling into step with them as they guide Jungkook towards the ship. She rests her hand on Jungkook's increasingly pale face.

"Shit he needs blood Stay with us Kook, stay with us please," she mutters, tears forming in her eyes. Jimin breaks at the sight. His best friend lying still; he can't cope. He takes a shaky breath as they approach the entrance to the Moon, stepping in carefully.

"Get him to the back, I'll look at him," Hoseok says, which Jimin agrees with.

Jin and Jimin make the trip, being careful not to drop Jungkook and add to his injuries. Jimin fears what the injuries might be. He really really hopes those enhancements can keep Jungkook alive. He can't lead this crew alone. He can't have emotional stability without Jungkook. He needs Jeon Jungkook. Jungkook is his brother, and Jimin can't afford to lose that.

Tears trickle down his face as he places Jungkook on the medbay's bed. Hoseok approaches, shaking his head as he takes in the sight of Jungkook's form. "Shit, I'll do what I can, but we need a hospital and fast."

"I-I'll go tell Baekhyun," Jimin says. He wipes his tears away, sniffling. Jin follows as he goes back down the hallway. "Baekhyun, get us back to our city now! We need a hospital for Jungkook!" he yells as he enters the bay.

"On it!" Baekhyun calls back from the cockpit.

"Is everyone else okay?" Jimin asks, and the crew nods in-sync. They're all gathered in the bay. Seulgi keeps cracking her knuckles, Y/N is pacing, Taehyung is sitting off to the side, keeping his eyes on the ground.

Jimin can't help it. He breaks at the sight.

~12:57~

"I want to start off by saying I'm so sorry about your friend," Kai says. You somberly nod, tears still streaming down your face.

"How did this happen?" Jimin asks, gritting his teeth.

"Remember that group I was talking about? The ones after you, Y/N?" You nod, guilt swelling up in your chest. "I had my team investigate my scanners. They were hacked. We traced them back to a whole group of people and brought them in about an hour ago. So far we've learned the names of what we believe is the entire group... except for their leader."

"So you have them all except for one?" you ask.

"Yes. No one will talk about the leader. They say they'll be killed for it, or that they still have some sense of loyalty to someone they respect so much."

You grunt, leaning back in the chair. "So they sabotaged your scanner?"

"They rigged it to say a dozen when in reality it was over a hundred. If they have a military sergeant on their side, I can only imagine how powerful the leader is. They must have access to our files."

"How were there so many Goliaths though? How did the detectors outside not pick them up?"

"They were rigged too."

"This is all my fault," you mutter, resting your face in your hands.

"It's not your fault. The people who did this are sick, they were looking for an excuse to do something like this and you're the excuse. Don't blame yourself, please," Kai says in a pleading tone. You glance up to see Jimin giving you a sympathetic look that you nod to.

"So what else is there? Where did the Goliaths come from?" you ask to distract yourself.

"They must've been building in the shadows, but a lot of them broke out of the labs."

"What?" Jimin asks, bewildered. "How? They're keeping them sedated."

"The running theory is that someone purposefully turned off their sedation so they can break out."

"Fucking hell," Jimin whispers, fear in his eyes.

"I believe this group is behind that along with the sabotage on your ship." You sigh, looking down at the ground. "I wish that were all," Kai starts. You close your eyes, preparing yourself. "The west city is completely destroyed. It's only a matter of time until the southern one is lost as well." You snap your head up with your jaw on the ground. Kai sets his jaw, placing his sweaty hands on his desk. "We're the last ones standing."

You and Jimin have no idea how to react, so you simply sit there, dumbfounded. You blink rapidly, shaking your head. "N-No that can't be true."

"I wish it weren't, but we're alone. Our external comms aren't working, we can't even contact Sturgeon. Earth should be here in three days. We need to hold out that long."

"I-Is that possible?" you asks, and Kai sighs.

"We hope so. We're armed with EMPs and heavy machine guns. If it's not too much to ask, can you have three of your crew members constantly in the sky? Maybe the guns on the Moon can stop them, or at the very least slow them down."

"Or scout them in case the scanners get rigged again," Jimin suggests, which Kai hums to. "I'll have Baekhyun, Seulgi, and Hoseok stay onboard."

Kai nods his thanks. "I'll let you know any updates. We're trying to find their leader as quickly as we can, but for now, it looks like you're mostly safe, Y/N. Don't do anything too crazy though."

"Kai, with all due respect, those creatures could be on our doorstep at any moment. I'm going to do what I have to do to keep my home safe," you say.

Kai stares at you for a moment, then nods. "I understand, and I appreciate that more than you know. Just promise to stay safe, okay? We need you, all of us."

You hesitate, then snap to your senses. "I'll do my best. Trust me, I'm not trying to die anytime soon."

Kai smiles, and you return it despite the tears on your face. You gnaw on your lower lip as the room goes quiet. Kai waits a few moments, then lets out a heavy breath. "I have no updates on his condition. I'm sorry."

"Can we please go visit him?" Jimin asks.

"Let me call and check in, I don't know if he's in any condition for visitors." You and Jimin watch anxiously as Kai pulls up a hologram from his desk. He quickly calls the main hospital, and after a few rings, a woman answers, her face filling the screen.

"Governor Kai, how may I help you?"

"Brenda, I'm calling to check on the status of one of your recently admitted, Jeon Jungkook."

"Let me see," she says, looking down at her computer. She pulls up his file, reading through it. "I have to make a call to see, but there have been no updates in the last ten minutes."

"As soon as you hear something, please call me back. I have two people here who need to see him as fast as possible."

"Yes sir, I'll keep you updated."

"Thank you Brenda." He cuts the call, running a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry, for what it's worth."

"It's worth a lot. Thank you," you mutter, folding your hands in your lap. You can't stand this. Being away from Jungkook, not knowing his condition... feeling like it's your fault. You wipe away one of your tears, but another one quickly replaces it.

"I'm glad the rest of you are safe, please, let's keep it that way," Kai says. You and Jimin somberly nod, keeping your eyes on the ground.

"Thank you for being on our side," Jimin says.

"It's the least I can do. Your crew is full of genuine people who helped my Moon. What governor wouldn't support people who do that?"

"I'm sure we can list a few," you say with a hint of venom in your tone.

Kai leans forward. "We have good medicine; Jungkook will pull through. He's a fighter, not to mention his enhancements."

You chuckle, although there's no humor in it. "He's competitive, I know he won't die. If he's dying, he's going to try and one-up Namjoon in the process. Stubborn bastard." Jimin softly smiles at you, and you return it. Although you can tell there's pain behind Jimin's smile. He truly misses Namjoon more than anything. You wonder what he's thinking. You wonder if he's replaying his last moments with Namjoon over and over again in his mind.

You sit in silence for about ten minutes. There's no where to go. Going back to the complex would feel wrong, leaving now would feel wrong too. You can tell that Jimin wants to stay put until there's an update on Jungkook, and you return the sentiment. Your best friend is hurting. It could've been prevented. You're beyond worried. You feel like you can't function, like you can't breathe. You fiddle with your friendship bracelet, keeping your eyes on the ground. You can't lose Jungkook, you refuse to.

After another minute of waiting, there's a beep on Kai's desk. He pulls it up immediately, eagerly awaiting the news. The same woman, Brenda, sits there, giving Kai a nod in greeting. "Is there an update?" Kai asks, returning the nod.

"We have one. His wounds are severe. Whatever got him got him good. His spine is in rough shape, and he has a concussion." Kai looks down, and you start to tremble. "He's unconscious still, but stable. He has multiple fractures throughout his body."

"Is he taking visitors?" Kai asks with a shaky sigh.

"They're running some more tests. If those two want to stop by and wait, I'm sure they'll let them in in the next ten minutes."

You rush out of your chair, bursting through the door and storming away. You angrily wipe away a tear, going outside and almost jumping at the sudden stale air. You breathe it in, but it feels bland to you. Everything seems dull, even the colors of Jupiter above you.

"Y/N," Jimin calls, but you keep walking, going in the direction of the hospital. "Y/N, hey," he tries. You ignore him. You feel bad, but you have too much going on mentally. Jimin speeds up his pace until he's even with you. He grabs your arm. "Y/N wait." You groan and stop with him, looking into his puppy eyes. "He's going to be oka-"

"Is he?" you ask, shaking your head as tears cloud your vision. "You heard what she said. Fractures, concussion... his spine. I need to see him."

"You will, okay? You will. But the odds are when we arrive we'll still have to wait, so just slow down, please."

You want to yell and scream. You want to punch someone or something, but when you look into Jimin's pleading eyes, you let out a sigh instead. "It's all my fault," you whisper. He brings you against his chest, kissing the top of your head.

"Y/N, honey..."

"What did I do?" you ask, closing your eyes as your tears fall. "What did I do?"

~Unknown~

"Come find me."

"Namjoon?"

"Jungkook, come find me..."

"Namjoon!"

Jungkook opens his eyes, seeing nothing but white all around him. He instantly panics, sitting up and looking around. He swore he heard Namjoon call out to him. Where is he? He stands, but there's nothing of note around the area. It seems like an endless white space. Jungkook walks forward, his adrenaline spiking. However, he doesn't feel any pain. Jungkook goes still, then places a hand over his check.

His enhancements are gone.

He starts to hyperventilate, stepping back and looking around. "Jungkook!" Namjoon's voice calls, causing him to jump.

"Namjoon!" he yells back, looking around desperately. "Namjoon where are you!" Jungkook tries, but there's no answer. He feels tears burn at his eyes. He runs forward, but it feels as though he's making no progress. His run feels like it's in slow motion: he can't go anywhere. "Joon! Please! Tell me where you are!" he begs, shaking his head as his legs refuse to go any faster.

"You have to find me Jungkook!"

He lets out a whimper, looking up at the whiteness. "I can't! Please help me find you!" Jungkook slows to a stop, breathing heavily. For the first time in his life, he feels weak. Physically weak. His legs start to hurt, his back in searing pain. He gasps, falling onto his knees. "Fuck!"

"Jungkook, you know what you have to do," Namjoon says, his voice getting closer by the second.

"No! I don't! Please Namjoon help me!" he says in a whine, sounding like a scared child. His legs hurt so badly that he falls to the ground, lying on his side. He brings his knees to his chest, holding them in place as he cries. "Joon... please," he whispers, closing his eyes as he sobs.

"You need to think. What do you need to do?" Namjoon asks, and Jungkook shakes his head.

"I don't know. I don't know," he repeats, refusing to open his eyes.

"You'll figure it out. I know you will. You'll be alright, I promise."

Jungkook rests his head against the white ground, his tears sliding across his face. "Joon, please don't leave me."

"I'm sorry," Namjoon replies.

"Please don't leave me!" Jungkook shouts in a cry. Jungkook feels a lot of pressure on his chest. It's getting harder to breathe by the second. "J-Joon, you're hurting me," he whines, holding his chest.

"Shh, shh. It's okay, it's okay," Namjoon says.

Jungkook opens his eyes and sees a bright light. His eyes widen. "Joon?"

"Just trust me."

Jungkook goes still, his entire body on fire. And for once, it's not from his enhancements. "Okay. I trust you, Namjoon."

He lets himself go into the light...

...

...

...

The first thing Jungkook feels is a searing pain in his head. He can't feel much else. Although he does feel someone's hand in his, which makes him feel better. Namjoon? Jungkook can't help but think. He decided to trust his late Captain, maybe this is it. Did Jungkook die? He panics at the thought, but he can't move, so he's not sure what to think.

"Please. Please don't leave me. I didn't even get to say goodbye," a male voice says. Jungkook goes stiff. That's not Namjoon.

He listens closely, anxious to hear more. "I think I'm falling in love with you. Please come back," the voice says. Wait, that can't be...? Taehyung? "You shouldn't have done that. It should've been me... it should've been me," he whispers over and over again, which breaks Jungkook's heart. He starts to get a memory. Right after the party they had with the boys, when everyone left. Jungkook lets himself slip into the memory, his body still feeling numb.

'"Boys, always leaving messes," Taehyung says with a sigh. Jungkook laughs, shaking his head as he puts yet another bottle of empty beer into the recycling bin.

"Yeah," he simply replies, looking over at Tae. He stands in the kitchen, humming as he washes off some plates. "You know I have a dishwasher, right?"

Taehyung nods. "I know."

"Then why are you doing it by hand?" Jungkook asks, walking behind him and placing his hand on his shoulder. Taehyung seems to get shy, which causes Jungkook to panic. Is he doing something wrong?

"I just... well, it's embarrassing."

"Tell me," Jungkook whispers, causing Taehyung to sigh and give in.

"I don't want to go."

Jungkook's taken aback. "Put the plate down." Taehyung does, turning around. "Stay," Jungkook says, and Taehyung goes into shock.

"W-What?" Jungkook can't help himself: he kisses him. He returns it, the familiar taste of banana milk on Taehyung's lips making Jungkook smile. Taehyung is just as needy as him, squeezing his eyes shut and grabbing at the boy's clothes. Jungkook returns the gesture, trying to insert his tongue to Tae's mouth when he pulls back. They gaze into each other's eyes, nothing but admiration in their expressions. "I want you," Taehyung whispers. Jungkook smirks, holding him close.

"Then you can have me."'

Jungkook shakes away the memory, trying to focus on regaining feeling to his body. "Do you remember after you asked me to be your boyfriend?" Taehyung asks, his voice cracking. Jungkook wants to move, he wants to speak, but he can't. "Do you remember taking me back to your place, and we cuddled on your couch while talking about our futures? What we wanted to do with the rest of our lives." Jungkook wants to scream he remembers, but his mouth won't move.

"O-Or after the dinner, when you walked me home and we stopped at the park to buy ice cream. We laughed so hard that night." Please Jungkook, speak. He's begging himself so hard to be able to move, but nothing happens. "Or after the funeral, when you trusted me with your feelings. When you opened up for the first time." Jungkook's heart stops. That's one of his favorite memories.

'"Tae, I don't know if I can do this."

"Do what?"

"Any of this! I don't deserve this crew, not in the slightest."

"Hey, come on, come sit down."

Despite his emotions, Jungkook does, angry tears falling down his face. "I couldn't keep Y/N safe, what kind of friend am I?" Jungkook goes quiet, taking in several shaky breaths. He doesn't know what to do.

"Jungkook, whatever it is you're feeling, I want to know. Tell me everything." Jungkook looks into Taehyung's eyes and is immediately comforted. He really likes this boy; maybe he even loves him.

"Okay," Jungkook whispers, and he breaks down, telling Tae everything. About his past, his present, and his worries for the future.'

Jungkook once again shakes the memory away. He starts to feel his fingers again, but not his legs. "Ta... Tae..." Jungkook says, his voice hoarse.

"J-Jungkook?" Taehyung asks, squeezing his hand. Jungkook tries to talk again, but can't. "Please, come back, come on you can do it." Jungkook wants to so badly, he's fighting so hard. His muscles seem to hate him, but Taehyung says one phrase that makes Jungkook's heart stop. "I believe in you."

Jungkook's eyes slowly open, and he feels pain throughout his body. His skin and mouth are dry, his fingers doing their best to squeeze Tae back. "O-Oh my God, Jungkook!" Taehyung says, watching the boy closely.

"Tae," he manages to say, his entire throat hurting from the effort. Taehyung has the cutest look of relief on his face. Jungkook melts at the sight. He's in a dimly lit hospital room, probably so his eyes don't get crazy stimulated as he adjusts. The room is small, consisting of a few essential tools Jungkook doesn't pay attention to. Other than that, it's pretty empty.

Jungkook's laying on a bed, his legs propped up. "Tae?" Jungkook asks. The boy nods, anxiously leaning closer. "Kiss me." Taehyung does, placing his smooth lips over Jungkook's rough ones. Jungkook doesn't have the strength to move, so they simply stay still, their lips pressed on each other's. Tae pulls away, sitting down once again and kissing the back of Jungkook's hand.

"Can I tell you something?" Jungkook asks.

Taehyung immediately nods. "Anything."

Jungkook hesitates, then softly smiles. "I think I'm falling in love with you too." Taehyung's eyes widen, but he doesn't reply. Tae keeps holding his hand, perhaps a bit tighter than before. After a few moments of silence, Taehyung clears his throat.

"Jimin and Y/N have been here all day, they went to get us waters from downstairs. I'm sure they'll be back any minute."

"What happened?" Jungkook asks. The last thing he remembers is being knocked in the air by a Goliath.

"Jimin and Jin carried you out of the city, we all got out okay, but Jungkook..." He trails off, shaking his head with tears in his eyes. "Why did you do it? Why didn't you just let me get hit?"

Jungkook weakly squeezes his hand. "Instinct. I wouldn't be able to cope with myself if you got hurt, especially if there was something I could do about it." Taehyung seems touched, but still has this look of guilt in his eyes. "Don't blame yourself, I made my own decision."

Taehyung doesn't look convinced, but he doesn't have a chance to say anything more since Jimin and Y/N enter the room. Their eyes widen upon seeing him awake. Jungkook gives them a weak smile, and they drop the bottles of water they're holding.

"Bunny!" Y/N shouts, kneeling next to him.

"Hey sweetheart," he says.

She smiles, tearing up. "Kook, you had us all so worried you bastard!"

"Sorry, you know I have to be dramatic."

She chuckles, coming closer as tears swell up in her eyes. She leans forward and kisses his cheek, wrapping an arm around him. "Don't do that to me again," she whispers, and he nods.

"I'll try my best."

Jimin steps forward when Y/N pulls away. Jimin stares at Jungkook in awe. "You're here. You're actually here."

"I can't leave you, Captain. What kind of friend would that make me?"

Jimin kneels next to Y/N, resting his hand on Jungkook's shoulder. "A pretty bad one," he replies with a laugh. Jungkook returns it, then sighs. He needs to know.

"What's wrong with me?" To Jungkook's surprise, no one jokes around. They all give him a sad look. "Guys?" he asks weakly, his enhancements slightly burning, causing even more pain to hit his muscles. A male doctor walks into the room, holding an electronic clipboard in his hands.

He looks shocked upon seeing Jungkook awake. "You're awake, I'm glad," he says. He's a middle-aged man, black glasses and a greying beard. His tan skin throws Jungkook off, but he doesn't comment on it. "How are you feeling?"

"I'll get back to you when I actually have feeling."

"Let's get right to it then. You have a grade 2 concussion, a hairline fracture on your left ankle, a fracture in your left wrist, and your right leg..."

Jungkook leans forward to the best of his ability. "What is it?"

The doctor hesitates. "You have a broken femur."

Jungkook stiffens. "Shit."

"I wish that were all."

"You have to be shitting me."

"There's a minor fracture on your spine. More specifically, a thoracic fracture."

Jungkook feels all the air leave his body. "M-Minor?"

"Yes, it's nothing crazy serious, but we need to be careful. We have you in an external back brace, but you absolutely cannot be back to normal activities for at least six weeks, with or without enhancements." Jungkook feels his heart shatter at the thought. No normal activities for at least six weeks? In the middle of a war? "You're lucky to be alive, your enhancements saved your life."

Jungkook feels a tear fall down his face, and the three in the room look at him with sympathy. "Fuck," Jungkook mutters, not sure how to respond to hearing literally any of that. As if a concussion and hairline fracture wasn't bad enough. A broken femur and a fracture on his spine? Jungkook may not be a doctor, but he knows enough to know that can lead to deformity if he's not careful.

"We have you on the strongest pain medications we have. You should stay here for as long as you need. Kai's covering all the costs for you."

"He is? Can you thank him for me?"

The doctor nods, then pauses, peeking over at the other three. "Can I have a minute alone with him to discuss the treatment?" The three reluctantly nod. Jimin and Y/N give him a sad look before departing. Taehyung stays for an extra moment, kissing Jungkook's hand one more time before following. As soon as the door closes, the doctor turns to him.

"This isn't about the treatment, isn't it?" Jungkook asks.

The doctor brushes the comment off. "We ran several blood tests."

Jungkook is only left confused, raising a brow. God, even raising an eyebrow drains him. "And?" Jungkook asks, the doctor lowering his gaze with his lips forming a frown.

"Let's talk about your enhancements."