~21:30~

The chair is against the wall, facing you, your muscles straining to lift Jimin up even a little bit. His body doesn't budge despite you putting as much strength as you can muster into it. All you need to do is get him sitting in the chair, then you can drag the chair back to the holding facility. How you're going to get Seulgi... well, you'll think of that when you get there. Right now, you need to focus on getting Jimin out of the interrogation room without getting him trampled or you knocked over. A silver chair is much more visible than scrappy-looking unknowns in dark red lighting.

You rest your hands on his arm pits, panting as you try to lift him up high enough to get his butt on the chair, but it doesn't work. With a huff, you try again, your muscles in physical pain as you go. A tear even falls down your cheek at the effort. You give up after seven seconds, your hip and back are still in so much pain from when you got thrown to the ground.

"Jimin. Jimin please wake up," you say, resting your hand against his cheek as your voice cracks. "Please, please wake up." When he remains unresponsive, you take one deep breath and prepare yourself again, getting a strong grip on his body and pulling with all your might. His body does come off the floor this time, his butt actually close to the seat, but the searing pain in your muscles causes you to scream. It feels as though someone is ripping a hole through your back, and you accidentally drop him and fall to the ground face first.

You sob, whispering soft cries to Jimin to wake up, but that doesn't happen. For a full two minutes, you sit on the ground of the interrogation room and wail, the pain making it so you can barely move. If you can't even get Jimin, there's no way you can get Seulgi. The room fills with more smoke by the minute, your lungs burning and begging for fresh air. Not that you really know what that's like. If you don't leave soon, both you and Jimin will die.

The ship rattles rapidly, the battleship not doing too well against the opponent. The shock of a battleship not annihilating its enemy doesn't fully hit you since you're too worried about Jimin and Seulgi. You close your eyes, about to accept your fate when a faint voice calls out to you.

"You're a coward... a disgrace for a daughter. Why do we even bother with you?"

You don't open your eyes, but your tears stop. "Dad?" you whisper.

"You've done nothing but dishonor our family, you should be ashamed!"

After a beat, your eyes snap open. "No..."

"You'll never own up to your mistakes! Never make anything of yourself! Never be the strong woman I wanted you to be!"

"No!" you say, pounding your fists against the ground and kneeling, your breathing heavy. You won't listen to him any longer.

"You're nothing."

The words bounce around your mind until your veins come alive again. You approach Jimin and wipe away your tears, going into a squatting position, your hands on Jimin's body once again.

"You'll never be a true L/N!"

You wince as you pull, your muscles contracting and the smell of your sweat clogging your nostrils. All you hear are hisses and groans, the ache in your hip almost wiping you out again, but you endure.

"You're useless! A waste of my time! I wish you were never born!"

There's a grunt that passes your lips, but it comes out as more of a yell as you lift Jimin up, your muscles in so much pain that your vision goes blurry.

"Y/N... You are no longer apart of the L/N family."

You let out an ear-piercing scream as Jimin's body goes higher, and you can't help but let go and fall to the ground.

All you do is pant and pant, softly crying. You have no idea what just happened, or why it happened. Terror creeps along the sides of your vision, your eyesight fading in and out. Everything that has occurred reminds you of what happened not too long ago. On that fateful night. That night. The night you decided to run away. The night your family disowned you.

You open your eyes, realizing your father was right. He was right: you were a failure. You failed at being a good daughter, you failed at bringing honor to your last name, you failed at getting anywhere in life. But when you look up at your work, and softly smile. Sure, you were a failure when it came to your family. But not to yourself. Not to him.

Jimin sits in the chair, still unconscious, but on the chair. It worked: you did it. You got him there despite the searing pain you feel everywhere. You can't help but laugh, your father's voice fading as you stand, balling your hands into fists for a split second before going behind the chair and placing both your hands on the handles. And then, you grin. "Let's do this, Park Jimin."

You push him out of the room, his weight much easier to control now since you have an outlet. Is it easy to push? No. Is it much easier than trying to carry him? Yes. You make your way down the main corridor, many passing but not questioning you. Some almost run into you, but correct themselves at the last second, which you're grateful for. If someone knocked Jimin off his chair, you would at least attempt to beat that person up or convince them to help you put him back on. But honestly, you don't have time for that. You need to get him to the ship so you can go back for Seulgi. She has to be lighter than Jimin, right? Maybe that'll be easier. Maybe Baekhyun can help, but at the same time, someone needs to stay with the ship so no one tries to take it and bail from this whole situation.

You drag the chair down even further, remembering the way you came. The more you go down, the less populated the area becomes. People are probably trying to get to the bridge to find out what's going on. Part of you wants to rush up there and see for yourself, but you force yourself to focus on the mission at hand. You'll take saving Jimin and Seulgi's life over knowing what the hell's going on.

Pushing the thoughts off, you keep going until you reach the holding facility, and you let out a breath of relief before feeling a wave of exhaustion hit you like a truck. You keel over, coughing and spitting. Your hip is in unbearable pain while you crawl in front of the chair and peek inside the facility, seeing Seulgi still lying there, unconscious. You want to stand, to go down and drag her out, but you know you can't. It was a miracle you were able to get Jimin into the chair. That was the last of your strength. You can't even feel your left leg. The entirety of your left leg. So, you cough once more and glance back at Jimin, weakly smiling. "Come back to me. Please," you say before letting your stomach hit the ground, your eyes staying on Seulgi as you accept that you're going to die.

~21:36~

Jimin... please wake up. Please, Jimin! Come back to me. Please.

The blaring alarm is the first thing he hears. He feels lost, dazed, confused. He blinks, but his surroundings are practically all black and blurry. It takes him a full minute before his vision comes back, and an entire two minutes before he gets feeling back in his body. Jimin can smell the sweat, smoke, and dust in the air. As a result, he has to wince before taking in the vicinity of the room. He's in a large corridor, the main one from earlier, and he's... sitting on a chair? The last thing he remembers is feeling the ship rattle like crazy - and now, he's here.

Although perplexed, he looks around, attempting to stand but he falls to his knees, not used to the feeling yet. He glances to his right, and that's when everything stops. Y/N is lying on the ground, her eyes closed and her breathing jagged. "Y/N!" Jimin shouts. The engineer is breathless, grabbing her upper body and lying it in his lap. Her eyes open, and her mouth forms an 'o' shape as her irises expand.

"Jimin! You're okay!" she says. With all her remaining strength, she leans up and wraps her arms around him. He freezes at the contact, then returns the hug, giving her a long squeeze. He never wants to let go. Jimin doesn't need to know the whole story. He can see it in her eyes, feel it in the way she holds him: she saved him. She got him away from the interrogation room and brought him back here. She risked everything - and physically injured herself - to get him here.

He reluctantly pulls away and stares into her eyes, where she gives him a look of admiration. He returns it. She looks like she's been through Hell. And she looks like she went through it for him. Jimin can't stop thinking about it, and it doesn't help that she's gazing at him like he's the only thing that matters. He knows it now - he fully trusts her.

"Where do we need to go?" he whispers, and she coughs.

"The Athena, we need to get back to the Athena. Seulgi is unconscious in there." She pauses to point to the holding facility. "We need to get her back right now. Baekhyun went to start up the ship and Hoseok went to get your Captain."

He doesn't disagree with her plan, absorbing the words before noticing her battered figure. "Can you stand?"

She grimaces at the thought. "I can try."

"Here, I'll help you."

Jimin hops to his feet and holds his hand out to her, which she takes with a peek of gratitude in her eyes. She hisses as she gets up, putting all her weight on her right leg. "I-I can't feel my left leg," she says, motioning to said leg. Jimin wraps her arm around his shoulders and lets her lean against him.

"Let's get you back to the ship first, then I'll get Seulgi."

"No, I don't want you to do it alone," she says, but Jimin shakes her off.

"You're in no condition to help me carry her unless you magically grow another leg," he replies, doing his best to keep his composure.

She chuckles, but it's void of any humor. "Or if you donate one of yours."

"Unfortunately, I don't think we're in a position to do that."

With that being said, they limp forward to complete their goals. When they approach where they parked the Athena, their eyes dilate in equal awe and terror. From inside the hatch, the Athena is on fire, completely annihilated. It seems as though it's about to soar away from the battleship.

"I have to put you down for a moment," Jimin says, cracks littering his tone.

"No, Jimin it's too risk-"

"If I don't then the Athena will blast off and we'll all be sucked into space. I have to." Y/N keeps her mouth shut as a form of agreement, letting him help her sit back down. As soon as she's safely down, Jimin rushes into action and dashes towards the hatch.

He slams it shut and locks it down. Then, a horrifying thought runs through Jimin's brain. What if Baekhyun is still in there? Jimin mentally panics, about to unlock the hatch when Y/N calls out to him. "I'm so sorry Jimin! I told him to go back! It's my fault!"

Jimin's hand lingers over the unlock button. But before he can make his decision, he watches through the slim glass as the Athena blows away from the battleship, the ship in flames. Jimin stares with a shuddering body for a few more seconds, then he turns and zips back to Y/N. He can mourn later. Right now, he has to make sure he's only mourning one person, not two or three, or even four.

"What do we do now?" she asks, her voice so steady it brings a sense of uncanniness dribbling down Jimin's spine.

"We do the only thing we can do. We go to the bridge," he replies, his lower lip quivering right after he says the words. Each syllable brings a new weight to him, and he pretends he's able to bear it.

"What about Seulgi? Can we take her?"

Jimin pauses, wrapping her arm back around his shoulder in what he hopes is a consoling manner. "We can try. I doubt I can carry two people at once."

She points at the chair. "What if you don't have to?"

Jimin wants to grin at the idea, but his lips can't handle the muscles needed to make it possible. "I think I have to put you down again to get her."

She nods, letting herself go down against the wall. Jimin goes inside to grab Seulgi's body and drags her out. His entire body strains to do so, but it works out seeing as eventually she's outside. All that's left is the chair. A grunt leaves his throat as he lifts her onto the chair, but he does so painlessly, which makes Y/N burst out laughing.

He glances over at her in concern, then full on panics when he sees the tears in her eyes. "I practically threw out my hip getting you into that chair," she says with a small snicker.

With a frown, Jimin kneels in front of her. He stares at her for a few seconds before softly smiling, his muscles moving this time. "Thank you," he whispers, which has her body stiffening for a beat. Regardless, he offers her his hand, and she stands with him, leaning on him for support. Jimin places one hand on the chair, and to his surprise, so does Y/N.

"Together," she says.

The single word floats around the walls of his skull, bouncing off each end until his heart is a stuttering mess like his mouth. It takes him perhaps a moment too long to compose himself, and he stares at her, then nods.

"Together."

~21:45~

After a long struggle of pushing Seulgi in a chair, you and Jimin finally arrived at the bridge. You're standing outside it, the door closed. "Here, I got it," Jimin says, letting you lean against the chair before trotting over and opening the door. What's behind it makes your eyes nearly burst out of their sockets. It's absolute chaos. High-ranking officers are rushing around with the Commander no where in sight. "Come on, let's see what's going on."

"W-What about Seulgi?" you ask as he brings you forward.

"Later, right now this is our priority, she'll be safe out here don't worry." At the sound of his soft voice, you relax and follow him onto the bridge, some feeling coming back into your leg but not nearly enough. No one really notices the two of you at first, but when you scan the room your eyes lock with someone else's. Namjoon's.

"Jimin," you say, nudging him and motioning towards his Captain. Namjoon moves first, pushing off and trekking closer to the two of you. Jimin's eyes light up, and he mimics the Captain's movements while you lean against the side of the nearest surface.

Namjoon runs to Jimin and engulfs the engineer in his arms. You stare, blinking slowly at the sight. Even Jimin is caught off guard, his eyes wide for a few moments before returning the embrace. Namjoon backs away and gives you and Jimin a smile. "I'm glad you guys are alright, I got so worried."

You nod to show your thanks. "Seulgi is unconscious, she's outside."

He glances at the door, then sighs in relief. "Hoseok is here as well," he says, then peeks around expectantly, tilting his head to the side. "Where's Baekhyun?"

You go silent, your chest tightening while tears threaten to spill out of your eyes. Jimin casts his gaze down, going quiet with you. You decide to answer for him. It's your fault, after all. Namjoon seems to get the idea, his posture slumping. "It was my fault," you whisper. Namjoon peers over at you with concern, then red flashes in his eyes.

"What?" he asks, his voice almost pushing your body over.

Jimin is quick to stand in front of you, holding out his hands. "She's blaming herself, but it wasn't her fault. She made a plan to escape and it didn't work out."

Namjoon's expression softens, a soft breath leaving his parted lips. "What happened?"

You peek out from behind Jimin, hoping your eyes express what you want them to. "I had Hoseok come to find you, and I went to find Jimin. I figured you guys wouldn't trust me to start up the ship, so I told Baekhyun to go and be ready to leave."

"That wasn't your fault," Namjoon says, his voice more more gentle than you were expecting.

Your eyes hit the ground. "I told him to go."

"You didn't know," Jimin says, Namjoon agreeing with that. You don't reply, simply letting the guilt wash over you.

"Captain Kim, I see your little band has reunited with you," the Diamond Commander says, approaching the three of you. Hoseok comes over from the other side of the room, panting and widening his eyes upon seeing you and Jimin. Despite that, Namjoon speaks.

"They have, what's the situation?" he asks, but she hesitates.

After a few moments, she still doesn't answer, so Jimin steps up. "Listen, with all due respect, we just escaped from absolute hell and have been on our way here for five days not knowing if we would live or die. And now, as soon as we think we're in safety, the entire ship is rattling, my friend is dead, and two of my other crewmates are severely injured. We have a right to know," Jimin says, his tone surprisingly calm and steady. Hoseok has sorrow flash in his gaze at Jimin's words. It's hard not to feel terrible for him. Baekhyun was a good man. A great one, actually.

The Commander and Namjoon stare at Jimin, both deep in thought. Even Jimin didn't register what he said. He seems more offended by his words than the Commander. "You know what? That's a fair point," the Commander finally says.

Deep down, you're proud of Jimin, but you don't let that show. You stay behind him, offering Hoseok a look of sympathy as he still tries to regain his composure. He notices your gaze and accepts it, but that doesn't change anything now.

"We're being attacked from an unmarked ship. It's size matches ours, we've never seen anything like it before," she says. Everyone's eyes jump in-sync. "I came over to tell you that we're evacuating you. Now. We're being boarded and we need you guys out of here. If what you told me is true, we have a war on our hands. We cannot let whoever did this get away with it."

"Justice for the Hep," you whisper, which only Jimin and Hoseok hear seeing as they dip their heads in agreement.

"I have a small team ready. You, L/N. You look hurt. Can you walk?"

You bite back a joke, instead showing the answer on your face. "Barely."

The Commander raises her wrist to her mouth. "Get me my squad, bring suits and a medpack." You give her a glance of thanks, and within seconds, a squad appears and shuffles past the still-unconscious Seulgi. "Have the unconscious one checked out, give this girl right here an adrenaline shot - she'll need it." The team agrees, all wearing heavy gear. The one closest to you approaches, opening a red medpack and grabbing one of the large needles.

Your feet wobble beneath you, the world going blurry. "Okay wait, i-is there like a pill version I can ta-" You go quiet when the man grabs your arm and locates a safe spot to insert the needle, gently dabbing the area with a pad. With a gulp, you look over at Jimin, who gives you an encouraging smile. You take a deep breath and close your eyes, bracing for the needle, but nothing ever comes.

After a few more seconds of waiting, you open your eyes only to see the man packing up the kit and motioning to the four sets of armor that lies on the nearest table. "Put this on," he says, static in his voice due to the respirators of the suit. Jimin hums and starts to put his on, strapping the protective gear around himself.

Within another minute, your leg begins to get its feeling back. You even put weight on it, and it feels alright. You're still in pain, but whatever was in that shot is working. By the time you peek up, however, you weren't expecting to almost be thrown to the floor again.

Park Jimin stands there, protective gear on except for the helmet. What normally is his scrappy engineer jumpsuit is now covered with dark gear and a heavy chestplate that almost makes him look like he's in the military. His black hair is long and fluffy, a little messy as well. You have no idea what's gotten into you, but you can't stop yourself from shamelessly staring at this man. How in the galaxy is this man an engineer? Why isn't he a famous actor or politician? He can sway all the ladies to his side with one look if he was confident enough.

He stares down at his helmet for a few seconds, sighing. He then shifts his attention to you, and you glance away out of embarrassment. It takes every ounce of strength you have not to turn completely red.

You step forward and make eye contact with him, your eyes popping open wider than usual. Mostly at how good he looks once again, but you play it off as if you're shocked at the fact that you can move. "I can walk again," you say, which makes him smile, his eyes smiling with him.

"Good, hauling you around would have been difficult if we get boarded."

"If? I hate to tell you this engineer, but they're already on board," the Commander says, coming over to the two of you. "You, hurry and put your armor on. The others are loading up your unconscious friend."

You shake your thoughts off and scramble to put the gear on while Jimin throws on his helmet. He still has a good build, so you can gawk over that, but you do miss his face. Wait. What is getting into you? You mentally freeze for a moment, strapping the heavy chestplate around you, connecting the tubes to the helmet and preparing to put it on. Why are you like this around him? You've seen attractive guys before, but you've never gawked over them. What is going on?

You don't have time to process your emotions since the alarm goes off, snapping you back to your senses. You put the helmet on just in time seeing as the officers finish gearing up Seulgi and are taking turns holding her. "Follow us," the Commander says, her voice in your helmet. Looks like there's an interlinked comm system between all the suits. You glance over at Jimin, who luckily can't see your eyes due to the heavy helmet concealing your entire face. He gives you a nod that you return, and then, he speaks.

"Let's do this."