𝙻𝙸𝙵𝙴𝙻𝙴𝚂𝚂 𝙷𝙴𝙸𝚁//𝙿𝙹𝙼 𝙵𝙵

• One Again •

"GET OUTTA THERE! MOVE MOVE"

"SHIT THEY BURNT OUR CARRIAGES"

"WATCH OUT! SNIPER"

The rest of the abandoned warehouse crumbled like dominoes, piece by piece, brick by brick. Bullets flew unforgivingly, killing any unfortunate victim. They were spared no moments to celebrate their reunions. Jimin quickly dragged Seok Jin on his feet and tossed him onto Binzo. He dragged Jonah onto Onix with him before nudging the horse into a full gallop.

Well, to be fair, he wanted to grab Venus but it seemed like her "dad" caught her first. Citadel helped Venus onto his horse before sprinting off as well. Just like Captain Ford, they rode with no tack on. No saddles, no reins, not even riding boots. Just a neck rope. Their horses were brave and steady, fast flexes and precise agility.

They escaped the crumbling building and headed straight into the dense woods of Taiga. Angry footsteps trumped behind them, hot on their heels. Seems like the Last Nations have their fair share of excellent mounts too.

"Follow me!" Captain Ford shouted as he navigated through the woods with grace and pace. The horses of the fort were much stronger than Onix, they were gaining distance ahead and Jimin was struggling to keep up. He could hear the Last Nations slowly surrounding him, with one particular rider riding dangerously close to him screaming "traitor!".

"Mr Park-" Jonah urgently warned, fingers gripping onto Jimin's armour with fright and uncertainty. "Yeah Yeah, I see it. Come on, boy. Faster!" he nudged Onix on more but the horse just couldn't beat the speed and aggression of the fort's horses.

"Jimin, look out!" Venus screamed in front of him when a Last Nation rider sprinted to cut him off. But before the rider could attack Jimin, a large Friesian knocked him over. "What took you so long!" Jimin snarled at a grinning Jungkook. "Sorry boss, took a nice stroll in the woods". He too was riding bareback, on the new horse Captain Ford had assigned to him.

Friesians were used in close combat back in the days and Jungkook's mount showed no fear in battling the Last Nations. Kicking and knocking the riders and horses off their track.

"FIRE!" Captain Ford commanded from the front. They have reached the frontline of the fort's troops who were guarding the borders of the sanctuary. Catapults flew past the crew and crashed in front of the Last Nations, making their mounts stumble and fall. One by one, the Last Nations riders fell back and retreated. But one stood at a distance, glaring menacingly at Jimin as if a horrific realization hit him.

"You..." he breathed out through his gritted teeth before his riders called out to him and he reluctantly turned away.

"Who's that?" Jimin blinked with a frown, panting from the adrenaline. "That, Mr Park, is Hobi. And he's not your biggest fan" Jonah snickered as if he partially agreed with Hobi.

As if reality hit him like a truck, Jimin whipped around with a stoned expression. No smile, no warm greetings nor did he even blink. Even after all these years, Jimin's death glare still managed to snatch the breath out of the young boy.

But this time, Jonah didn't back down. He had seen worse...been through worse. But saved by the best. He had grown some balls on him. But at the same time, it's Jimin we're talking bout here. He isn't the easiest to slip past, especially when you were part of the kidnapping of his wife.

"Sir, I can explain. I-" Before Jonah could utter another panicked word, Jimin swung an arm around the boy and caught him in a playful headlock.

"ATTA BOY! I knew you would make it. Look at you! All grown up and even put on some good hefty muscles" Jimin chimed with the largest and brightest smile at him, one he had never seen or thought he would see. Jimin released his hold on Jonah and playfully elbowed him.

On the other hand, Venus was wailing uncontrollably in Citadel's arms after they dismounted, clinging onto dear life. "I thought you were dead!" Venus heaved through her tears.

"I thought YOU were dead," Citadel patted Venus' head. "That morning when you left for work, all hell broke loose. The university turned into a slaughter house when one of the buses was infected and crashed into the campus." He recalled, shivered as he remembered the bloody walls, echoing screams and the sound of flesh tearing. The campus was located within the city, the first place to turn into absolute hell.

"But you survived. How?" Venus grabbed onto his shoulders, not believing her eyes. "Ford dragged me out. We were in the middle of discussing his studies. We headed straight to the port in Busan, thinking the authorities might have arranged some sort of escape boat" Citadel lowered his head in a deep frown. "But they left us to die..."

At that moment, Citadel looked at Jimin. "Which was strange to hear that one of South Korea's most powerful corporate cartels stayed behind", the old man averted his gaze between his daughter and Jimin with a soft smile. "I guess he found a reason to".

The couple shared a compassionate stare, one they failed to do so when they were thrown into this mess. As the group moved back into the safe land of the fort, Jimin and Venus stayed grounded as they held their stares.

They haven't been able to look this deeply into each other's eyes ever since their ideologies started wavering and parting, since they became more against each other than for each other.

Jimin was the first to move closer, breathing slowed but fists still clenched. "I know. I shouldn't have left, shouldn't have shut you out. I put everyone in danger, even myself. I know. But-" Venus blabbered nervously, breaking their stare and lowering her head in shame. But before she could continue, the soft yet calloused hands cupped her face up.

"But you had to. Because you saw the needs of the people and if you don't take that step forward, no one else would. Not even me. " Jimin stroked a thumb over a bruise on her cheek. "I should've listened to you, seen things from your perspective and worked it out together." He leaned his forehead against hers.

Venus broke a tear and circled her arms around his neck, caressing his back, "and I should've been more patient with you. Nothing excuses how I acted and my impulses. I vowed to be there for you no matter what, but I left. And I left our child too".

As if reality struck them, the couple abruptly pulled away.

"If you're here...and the Last Nation saw you here with me", Venus breathed out as her heart thumped.

"And saw Jungkook, the general of Venera's army, here too" Jimin stared into the distance.

They were too foolish, too caught up in their mishap that they have forgotten the vulnerable state they have left Venera in. Now that they have seen the outside world and how dangerous it became, they realized leaving Taehyung alone in Venera was a huge mistake.

"Ok ok, let's calm down first and gather our thoughts"

"Right right, we don't want to go our separate ways...again"

They both managed to stay collected. Venus relayed everything she had encountered to Jimin. Everything from the Mutants and how powerful they are to the Last Nations. They don't have much clue to work on the Last Nations but at least they have Jonah now. Jimin also recapped his journey to Citadel Fort and the whole sanctuary they have recovered from the undead.

"Speaking of Jonah" Jimin frowned in deep thoughts.

"From what you have told me about the fort's research" Venus spoke in hesitation

"You don't think..."
"They might have found the cure and...healed Jonah?"

"Only one way to find out"

Jimin got back onto Onix and helped Venus up before they trotted back to the fort. As they journeyed back, Venus' hug around Jimin's waist tightened in comfort as she rested her chin on his shoulder. She gave him an affectionate kiss on the cheek and smiled, "feels good to be one again".

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