powerboys | Can't breathe in the sunlight

"We can try. It's either that or-- or a pay phone. I had some cash, I think." He passed down his hoodie and heard a jingle, pulling out some coins. "I think the subway has a phone so let's go, yeah?" Cause his vision was going blurry and he stumbled over his own feel, skimming his knee. He forced himself to get right back up, smiling at Tae so he wasn't scared. "Dizzy. Come on, subway!"

It was a long walk but they finally got there, among the crowd of people that were already there. Good. This would make it harder for them to be found and taken. He pulled his hood up and limped along, a hand on Tae's back - gently. He'd been whipped yesterday and he didn't want to make Tae hurt any more than he probably already was. "Tae... who are you calling?"

He passed him the coins, hoping it was Minjun.

"Namjoon-hyung." Tae turned to look at his brother as he held the coins tightly, knowing what he would say. "He said I could call him any time and he would help. Like he helped Jungkook. And... I know, I know he's Min clan, but he can help us for now and then we can help ourselves. But now we need someone really good and strong, right? And Kangwoo can't go after Min Yoongi, he said so himself!"

With a lot of cursing and very unhappily, but still.

Jiho thought it was a horrible idea but... they didn't stand for kids being used and if they got caught, Tae was in for a rough life. As far as cost vs benefit went? Tae's happiness was worth whatever happened to him. He slowly slid down the wall and sat on the floor, exhaling slowly. "Just do it. Call him. Be quick, you only get two minutes with that much."

Feeling dizzy, he lowered his head and now he'd stopped running, the full impact of the pain was hitting him. God, his ribs hurt so bad. Kangwoo really boxed the shit out of them.

"Okay, hyung... Please hold my hand." He just had to make sure that his hyung wouldn't pass out, he knew passing out was bad. Tae managed to dial the number he had memorised, singing the song under his breath and he held the phone to his ear, nervous as he listened to the dial tone. "It's dialling!"

He wanted to keep his hyung updated. "Hello?" Someone had picked up. "Namjoon-hyung? It's TaeTae."

"Kay." Jiho held onto his hand and focused on breathing, his vision kept getting fuzzy but he pushed through it. He couldn't leave Tae yet. He'd regret it his whole life if he failed him now.

"... Taehyung? Hey, bud-- erm, what's up?" Namjoon was worried, he wasn't sure why he was being called but he sensed it was nothing good. He looked at Yoongi, who he was sitting with right now while Jungkook was splish-splashing in the bath before bed. Hence why his voice was a little echoy. "What's a matter?"

"Hyung and I ran and we are at the subway station, because Kangwoo-hyungnim wants to kill us." Tae knew that he had to say things properly when he was on the phone, he had practised how to do it at school. That was about calling an ambulance, but same difference. So he very clearly said the name of the subway station, glad that he remembered that. "I punched him in the nuts and hyung was really brave and beat him up so he couldn't stomp me dead!"

That was how he remembered things, anyway. Yoongi was looking at Namjoon, eyebrows raised, his pwn phone already in his hand. He expected he'd have to make a call.

"Make sure he knows it's the Hanti station." He knew Tae said it but he was still worried, not wanting to be missed. "Bundang Line. Not the 1 but the 2. Platform 2." Jiho muttered as he closed his eyes and tried to just get a moment where he wasn't dizzy and the world was spinning. He waited to hear Tae repeat what he said before nodding in approval.

"Okay, I'm on my way, I don't live too far from there so I'll get in the car now, yeah? Are you and him among a lot of people? Is there a food place in there? Can you go and stand inside that, make sure a looot of people see you, yeah?" Namjoon was up and moving already, putting the phone on his shoulder to quickly talk to Yoongi. "Gotta go, Kangwoo just tried to murder his brothers and they called me! I-- Send some people to the Hanti station."

Maybe they could deter Kangwoo from getting close. He was already running to the door. "On my way, TaeTae."

"Huh." Yoongi called a number, as expected, while turning to Jungkook and giving the thumbs up. "Our Joon-ah is going to sort it all out, don't worry."

Only he did worry, because that was his boyfriend and Kangwoo and Cheon were trigger-happy assholes, so the reinforcements he called were probably vastly overdoing it, but whatever. He wanted him safe and the kids deserved a fair shot too.

"We can't walk far," Tae explained, "Cause my hyung is really dizzy and he hurts. But we are by the phone, on platform 2. Bundang line." There, he said it all. "I don't have any more coins, but hyung, if I die, please take care of my hyung, cause he is the best."

Tae said it very sincerely, just as the call cut off. Then he sat down next to his brother and tightened his hold on his hand. "Namjoon-hyung said he'll be there soon."

"I'm sure he will be." Namjoon had his foot on the gas and was breaking all kinds of traffic rules but then, he never was the best driver so whatever. Jiho reached out his hand and raised it, stroking Tae's face where he'd clearly fallen on it. Being thrown across the room like that, a boy so small - it must have hurt.

"I couldn't lose you, weirdo. You're my little piece of eomma, yeah?" And he missed his eomma. So damn much. He wanted to cry and run to eomma but he knew he couldn't. "I won't let him hurt you. I'll fight him."

He looked Tae up and down, trying to keep himself awake and focused. "Where do you hurt? I can fix it later."

Tae shifted a little and wrapped his arms around Jiho, because he had said before that his hugs were like eomma hugs and he wanted to give him that. Maybe he could do some magic, like eommas could. Like kissing wounds so they hurt less, Jungkook had told him about it. "I'll fight him too. I punched his nuts!" His success for the night. "And you were like a ninja!"

He was still in awe of that. "My side hurts here... and my back hurts and my face and my lip and ow. But you hurt more."

And that worried him more. "Namjoon-hyung can help."

"It was worth it. Did you see his dumb face? Stupid idiot. And he does smell." Jiho smiled, even if it hurt, looking at Tae and subtly pulling up his shirt to look at his side. "Ouchie. We'll look at it. We'll make it all better and then we'll work out what to do, yeah? It's gonna be okay."

He smiled at Tae, his whole body throbbing painfully. He just wanted to go back home and lie in bed, he didn't want to keep going.

"Listen, no matter what happens - no matter where I am, yeah? You go with Namjoon and you stay with him. It's safe with him."

"I stay with my hyung. I always stay with you. You are the best and you are my hero." He didn't even want to contemplate anything else. "You always protect me. You are so, so, so good and I love you so, so, so, so, so, soooo much!"

Tae smiled a little, resting his head against Jiho. He was so hurt, but he knew they had to stay strong. They weren't safe yet. "I feel safe with you. Even when I'm scared."

"You're so weird, you dork." Jiho lowered his head, closing his eyes and just trying to not pass out. He drifted in and out but he kept squeezing Tae's hand whenever he could, trying to keep on top of things. It felt like minutes by the time Namjoon had arrived but it had taken almost twenty.

He came rushing over to them and winced at the state of Tae and Jiho. Damn, that boy would not be getting up. "Hey, TaeTae." Namjoon hurried over to them and looked at Jiho, wondering if he was even conscious. "Come on, let's get you boys out of here."

"Hyung? Hyung, Namjoon-hyung is here. Jiho?" Tae tugged on his hand to try and wake him, watching with concern and explaining to Namjoon. "He is really hurt, because he kicked Kangwoo's butt." And obviously mostly just got his own butt kicked. "He is so strong! You have to help him, yes? Please help him."

At long last and without any further warning, Tae burst into tears. "I'm sorry, it's all my fault!"

"Woah, woah, it's okay. It'll be okay. I got you both, it's no one's fault." Namjoon helped Jiho up as much as he could before lifting him up bridal style - he was a small boy, very light, it wasn't too much of a struggle. Jiho wasn't waking up so he assumed he was passed out, it didn't look great but he was hopeful it was nothing too serious.

"Tae, hold onto my pant leg, okay? My car is just here. Come on, come on!" Namjoon kept his tone light as he jogged outside to his car, placing Jiho in the back and swiftly buckling him in place. He didn't know if Kangwoo would start firing or not. "Tae, can you get in the front? It's okay, Jiho will be fine back there but I need you in front."

It was safer there and besides, he wanted to keep an eye on him. "We're going to my home. It's safer there."

"I... Jiho?" Tae wanted to stay with Jiho very much, but he was too tired and hurt and upset to argue and he knew they had to go away. There were men with guns. He was a gangster child, he knew how to recognise them. He didn't know if they were Min men or Kangwoo men, but he knew he had to get into the car quickly, so he did, sniffling as he put the seat belt on.

He leaned back in the seat, blinking until there were no more tears. Ow. His back hurt so much. He decided to lean forward instead, holding his side when that protested. Everything hurt so much. "Thank you, hyung."

"We'll get you looked at real soon, we just need to get out of here, yeah?" Because he could see Kangwoo's men swarming in. He did a u-turn and took off swiftly, looking in the back to make sure Jiho was okay, he was hanging forward, totally unconscious but he was alive. He used his phone console and dialled up Yoongi as he drove, waiting for the other to pick up.

"Yoonie-ah, it's not great. Can you call a doctor to meet us at the apartment? I'm driving and I can't think of the number but they need one." Quite badly from the looks of it. "I'll be home in fifteen."

"Doctor is already on his way." Yoongi could anticipate that much. "There's no way to get Jungkook to sleep, by the way." Obviously. But that was very beside the point. "Our guys are still there, but I told them not to engage, just keep an eye on Kangwoo and whoever's with him. He won't dare to target you."

Yoongi simply wouldn't allow for that to be an option. He had enough men on the case. "I'm waiting for you. Drive carefully, Namjoon."

That was one way to tell him he loved him. Yoongi hung up and Tae looked at Namjoon, still very worried. "My Jiho-hyung was so brave, because Kangwoo said I have to leave his house and go with Cheon and he wouldn't let him do it!"

"Thanks. Love you." When Yoongi hung up, he turned and smiled at Tae, reaching out to ruffle his hair as he navigated the streets. "Did he? What a brave hyung! He sounds like a hero. We'll get him all treated and fixed. Maybe we can get him something for being such a brave boy." He was a little shocked, he didn't think Jiho had it in him to go against Kangwoo but he was so thankful.

The sick freak wanted to sell his own brother? God. What a monster.

Once they were pulled up outside his building, he checked around before getting out and opening the door for Tae, helping him with his belt. He picked up Jiho and carried him, kicking the car shut and herding Tae along. "Go press the button for the lift for me. We'll go upstairs and get you both sorted."

"Okay." Tae nodded and ran ahead to press the button, then leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. He was so dizzy, but he had to be strong, he knew that. He had to make sure everything would be okay with Jiho, Jiho needed him. "I told Kangwoo that he's dumb."

He still felt that was a pretty good insult, all things considered, so he felt the need to tell Namjoon all about it as they got onto the lift. "You can tell Jungkookie that I'm not hurt."

Well, his face was bloody, swollen and blue, but he didn't know that.

"I'm sure he understands. He gets hurt too, yeah? We all do." As soon as the lift opened, he hurried to the door and, sure enough, Yoongi opened it with a clinging, snivelling Jungkook who looked very tired and anxious. "Where's the doctor?"

"Joonie-hyung." Jungkook whined as he looked at Jiho and then Tae, his lower lip wobbling. When would bad things stop happening? He only liked the good things. Poor TaeTae shouldn't be hurt.

"It's okay, Kookie. TaeTae has a few ouchies and Jiho is just sleepy." If only. He looked at Yoongi with concern. "Kangwoo's men were there, they were circling my car. They know we have the boys but I don't give a damn. I ain't giving them up."

"That's fine, our men were there too. I didn't give a call to shoot and so nothing happened, but we've got people watching the building just in case. Hobi and some others are on the case." Yoongi didn't want to risk anything. "Doctor's in my office, come on."

He led the way, picking up Tae, since the boy looked as if he was about to keel over just as his brother already had. Christ. The doctor helped Namjoon put Jiho down on the sofa and then Yoongi sat Tae down on the comfortable chair he had. "You can close your eyes, Taehyung. The doctor's going to look at you in a minute."

Tae nodded, his eyes already closed and the doctor was looking over Jiho.

Yoongi reached for Jungkook's hand and led him out of the room, taking Namjoon's hand too so he could bring them both away from the hurt brothers. "They're going to be fine."

No, he had no way of telling that, but he said it with a lot of confidence anyway. "Jungkookie, you should really lie down."

"Noooo, I can't lie down if I'm alone, I'm scared. We sleep together! We sleep together!" Jungkook sobbed as he clung onto Yoongi's pant leg and Namjoon's, already overtired and anxious from all the chaos. A change of routine always unsettled him. Namjoon picked him up to give Yoongi a break, holding the boy and bouncing him up and down, just trying to ease his sobs so they could try and get him to sleep. He paced up and down, rubbing his back.

"I can't even... I can't get my head around it." Namjoon didn't know what he even thought, he was just worried and scared. He could still see them in his head and he was so afraid for them.

"Apparently Kangwoo went to sell Cheon off, they protected so Kangwoo threw him and tried to stomp on him. Jiho fought back and -- I mean, you pit a ten year old against a fully grown guy." It wasn't going to end well either way. "I don't understand how someone can be like that. They're kids."

Yoongi walked past Namjoon, sliding an arm around his waist to pull him along. They ended up in their bedroom and he gestured for him to lie down with Jungkook, settling in next to them himself. He kept an ear out for any sounds, but the only thing he heard was the nurse the doctor had brought along walking to the bathroom and back. He suspected that this would take a while.

"I'm surprised Jiho fought him. I underestimated him, that takes a lot of courage." Not that he'd thought that Jiho was a coward, but perhaps a bit too much of a realist. He had to really love his little brother, which was sweet. "We will pull this off and they'll be fine and then we publicise it. Imagine that hit for Kangwoo's rep. Not only beating his little brothers, but actually getting outsmarted by them?"

"He did it for Tae. He loved his brother more than anything, it must have beaten out whatever else was going on." Setting Jungkook down between them, he watched the boy slowly stop sobbing and curl around Yoongi sleepily, clinging to his shirt and placing his feet against Namjoon's thighs, wanting all full contact all the time. He was a needy boy sometimes.

"If it's the same smart, we'll do it. I want people to know. We should also inform Minjun of what happened regardless of what we release. I don't think they have any other family." And he wasn't sure how to proceed forward. "We'll keep them here for a while."

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bluemold - 2019-01-19 21:55 (UTC) - Expand

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monie - 2019-01-19 21:57 (UTC) - Expand