FIFTY-TWO

THE RAIN CONTINUES to hammer against the building as Namjoon, Yoongi, and Jimin move up the staircase, their steps silent but purposeful. Namjoon presses two fingers to his earpiece, checking in with Team B. "Booter, report." Seokjin's voice comes through, calm but firm. "Everything secure. Bullseye is still moving to his vantage point. Two minutes tops before he's set."

"Copy that." Namjoon glances back at Yoongi and Jimin. "Stay focused. We need to hurry up." Jimin nods, his grip tightening on his knife. His heartbeat was loud in his ears, but he pushes the sound away, focusing on their objective. Somewhere above them their colleagues were waiting, and every second counted.

The three of them continue upward, the damp air inside the stairwell heavy with the smell of mildew and rust. According to their rough estimate, there were still three or four floors left before they reached the top. They didn't know what awaited them, but they were ready for anything—or so they hoped.

Namjoon suddenly raised a fist, signaling them to stop. Steps. The sound is faint but growing louder, echoing off the concrete walls. Jimin strains his ears. Four, maybe five people. Namjoon leans in close and whispered. "Incoming. Silent takedown. No noise."

The three of them shift into position. Yoongi's knives gleam faintly in the dim light, Jimin and Namjoon readying themselves with hand-to-hand combat in mind.

As the gang members rounded the corner, Yoongi was the first to strike. Moving like the viper he was named after, he darts forward, slashing across one man's throat before he could even react. The second man barely had time to turn before Yoongi pushed his second blade into his chest, silencing him instantly.

Jimin took the third, ducking under the man's wild swing and driving his knife up into his ribs. The gang member chokes on his own breath before collapsing. Namjoon moved in on the remaining two with precision. The first fell to a sharp elbow to the temple, and the second went down with a quick, silent chokehold, his body slumping against the wall.

The fight was over in seconds, the only sounds the soft thuds of bodies hitting the floor.

Namjoon nods to his team, his expression grim. "Good work. Keep moving."

The three of them continue their way, checking each room they passed. Most were empty, their peeling walls and broken furniture a proof to the building's abandonment. But there was no sign of their colleagues.

As they reached the next floor, another group of three block their path. This time, the gang members were more alert, their weapons at the ready.

Yoongi gestures silently, signaling the plan. They would split and take the men down silently.

Yoongi struck first again, slicing through the throat of the nearest man before he could turn. His movements were so fluid that it seemed the enemy didn't even realize he was dead until he collapsed.

Namjoon took the second, his massive frame a blur of power and precision. A sharp blow to the back of the neck sent the man crumpling silently to the floor.

Jimin approached the third from behind, wrapping an arm around his throat in a tight hold. The man struggled, his hands clawing at Jimin's arm, but the younger officer held firm, squeezing until the man went limp.

Namjoon quickly scanned the area to ensure they were clear, then motioned for them to keep moving.

Finally, they reach the last floor. The tension is suffocating, the air thick with the smell of damp and sweat. Namjoon motions for Yoongi to scout ahead. Yoongi peeks around the corner, then pulled back quickly. He raises his hand, showing ten fingers, then five more. Fifteen men.

Jimin feels a knot tighten in his stomach. Fifteen against three. The odds were impossible.

Namjoon presses his earpiece. "Bullseye, status?" Taehyung's calm voice came through. "In position. I've got eyes on the leader. Waiting for your signal." "Hold your fire until I say. I need him alive," Namjoon replies.

They couldn't risk an all-out attack. Not with the hostages still in the room. Namjoon takes a deep breath. "I'll go in alone," he says quietly. "What?" Jimin hisses, his voice barely above a whisper, "That's suicide."

Namjoon gave him a steady look. "They won't expect a negotiation. I'll buy us time until the others arrive. Viper, get outside and find a way to the hostages. Argent, you're my backup" Jimin nods. "Got it."

Yoongi gave Jimin a comforting pat on the shoulder before slipping away. His plan was risky—he'd go outside the building, using the rain and shadows to his advantage to circle around and get closer to the hostages.

Namjoon adjusts his weapon, then places it on the ground before stepping into the room with his hands raised.

The room was dimly lit, the gang leader pacing furiously. He wears a black mask, his eyes sharp and filled with cold calculation as he barks orders at his men. Two chairs sat near the center of the room, and in them were Jungkook and what seemed Officer Lee Minho, their hands tied and faces battered.

The leader pauses mid-step when Namjoon entered, a twisted smirk curling beneath his mask. "Well, well. The Commander Kim Namjoon." His voice was low, almost mocking. "I've been waiting for you." Namjoon's stance was steady, though Jimin, watching from just outside the doorway, could see the controlled tension in his movements.

"I'm here to talk." Namjoon says, his voice calm but probing. "To talk?," the leader said, his tone dripping. "You and your SWAT team have been a thorn in my side for too long." He gestured dramatically toward the hostages. "Did you think I wouldn't plan for this? For you?"

Namjoon's jaw tightens, but his voice remains composed. "Then you know how this ends. Surrender, let my men go, and I'll make sure you get a fair trial." The leader laughs, a bitter, humorless sound. "A fair trial? You think I'd put my fate in the hands of your corrupt system?" He steps closer, his boots echoing on the concrete floor. "This isn't about justice, Commander. This is war. And in war, there are no trials—only winners and losers."

Namjoon tilts his head slightly, watching the leader with a keen eye. "You can't win this war. You're outnumbered, outgunned. Every move you make only pushes you closer to the end. Killing my officers won't change that—it'll only bring more heat down on you and your men."The leader's expression darkens, his frustration simmering beneath the surface.

"You talk as if I care about survival," he hisses. "Do you know what it's like to be betrayed by the very system you swore to protect?" He gestures wildly at his men. "This gang—these men—are my family. And we take what we deserve. You and your SWAT team are nothing but obstacles in our path."

Namjoon holds his ground, his hands open in a gesture of peace. "It doesn't have to be this way. We can end this here, without bloodshed." The leader shakes his head, his smirk returning as he reached behind his back and pulled out a pistol.

"You're not listening, Commander. I never planned on surrendering. I've been waiting for you so I could end this myself." Namjoon's eyes flick briefly to the hostages, his mind calculating. He doesn't flinch, even as the leader aims the gun directly at him. "So you'd throw away the lives of everyone in this room? For what?"

The leader scoffed. "You don't get it, do you? I'm not throwing anything away. I'm taking control. You'll die here."

Before Namjoon could respond, one of the gang members by the window shouted,

"Boss, movement outside!" Yoongi.

The leader's attention snapped toward the shout, his frustration boiling over. "What the hell are you all doing? Take care of it!" Namjoon used the moment of distraction to glance at Jimin, who was positioned just out of sight. His expression was calm, but the subtle nod he gave signaled the shift they'd all been waiting for. Jimin's grip on his powers tightened. The time for talk was over.

Through the headset, Taehyung's voice was a steady whisper. "I've got the leader in my sights. Say the word, and he's down." Jimin's heart raced. He could feel the tension in the air, every muscle in his body coiled like a spring. Then everything happened at once.

The leader noticed Yoongi. "Shoot him!" he shouted, and chaos erupted. Taehyung's sniper rifle fired, the shot echoing like thunder as the leader fell backward, clutching his shoulder. Yoongi yanked Jungkook and Minho down to the floor, shielding them as bullets flew. Jimin didn't hesitate. He burst into the room, firing at the nearest gang member. Namjoon lunged for his weapon, taking out another.

The fight was relentless, chaos spreading across the entire floor like wildfire. Gang members fired wildly, their bullets tearing through walls and furniture. SWAT moved with precision, but the sheer numbers against them turned every step forward into a battle for survival.

Yoongi had managed to pull Jungkook and Minho in a small corner of the room, shielding them with his own body. Jungkook, though battered, had already recovered his weapon, his eyes fierce and determined. But Minho wasn't as lucky—his leg was soaked in blood from a gunshot wound, his face pale as he leaned heavily against the wall.

"Stay down, Officer!" Yoongi barked, his voice sharp but laced with concern. He handed Jungkook a spare handgun. "Cover him."

"I'm good to fight," Jungkook growled, his grip tight on the weapon.

Yoongi nodded but didn't respond. His focus was on the fight, his knives glinting in the dim light as he moved back toward the fray.

Jimin, meanwhile, was a blur of motion. His powers shot through him like fire, the adrenaline amplifying his connection to the iron in the weapons around him. Bullets whizzed past, but with a flick of his hand, Jimin redirected a knife thrown his way, sending it spinning into the shoulder of a gang member who had been aiming at their Commander.

He ducked behind a crumbling wall, his chest heaving as he reached out with his mind. The scattered metallic objects in the room seemed to call to him—knives, broken pipes, even shards of iron from the shattered furniture. He clenched his fist, and the pieces flew toward him, hovering in midair.

Finally the strayers arrived as their backup. "Argent, we need a path!" Namjoon called out, firing a few shots to keep the gang pinned down.

Jimin didn't hesitate. With a sharp motion, he sent the shards flying forward, disarming several gang members in a single sweep. Their weapons clattered to the ground, and Namjoon and Felix moved in, taking them down with swift, precise strikes.

Bangchan was at the other end of the room "They just keep coming!" he yelled over the chaos.

Jimin's heart raced as he pushed himself further. His powers surged again, and he yanked a gang member's gun from his hands, crushing the barrel with an effortless twist of his fingers. The man stumbled back, stunned, before Jimin dispatched him with a well-placed kick.

But it wasn't enough. The gang was too numerous, and their attacks forced the team to keep moving. They ducked behind walls, crouched beneath broken tables, and darted from cover to cover, all while the sound of gunfire echoed like thunder around them.

In all of the chaos, Jimin suddenly realized he'd lost sight of his partner, of Yoongi. A strange feeling gripped his chest—a cold, twisting knot that refused to loosen. He tried to focus, his eyes scanning the room, but all he could see were flashes of movement and the muzzle flare of gunfire.

Then he heard it.

A scream.

Jungkook's voice cut through the room like a blade, raw and desperate. "Viper!"

Time seemed to slow as Jimin turned toward the sound. His breath caught in his throat as he spotted Jungkook, his face contorted with rage and fear as he fired his weapon wildly, trying to push through the chaos.

Jimin's gut twisted. He didn't need to ask what had happened—he could feel it, deep in his bones. Without thinking, he pushed forward, his powers clearing a path through the chaos. He sprinted toward the source of Jungkook's scream.

Jimin rounded a corner and entered another section of the floor, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it might burst.

And then he saw it.

Everything seemed to slow to a crawl. The sounds of the fight faded, replaced by a deafening silence as his eyes locked on the scene in front of him.

Jungkook was on one side of the room, still firing, his voice hoarse as he screamed Yoongi's name.

And on the other side, Yoongi stood, blood soaking his clothes. His knives were still in his hands, but they hung limply at his sides. His usually sharp eyes were dull, unfocused.

Jimin's gaze traveled lower, and his breath hitched.

A thick cut covered Yoongi's throat, blood pouring from the wound and staining the floor beneath him.

"No!" Jimin's voice broke as he surged forward, "N-no."

Yoongi fell, he hit the ground hard. His body limp, blood everywhere. Jimin kneeled next to his partner, grabbed him. He held him close.

Yoongi's blood on his hands, his lifeless body in his arms.

His vision turning into reality.

-

A/N: New update!! Thanks to all of you for supporting this book for so long!

What do you think will happen next??

& again thank you for my English speaking friend who helped me write these difficult chapters! Sorry if you find some mistakes etc.

Don't forget to vote, thank you, love you!!! <3