Chapter Text
Taehyung is abruptly awoken when the boot of the car opens, and two pairs of hands grab him and pull him up and out. Taehyung has apparently dozed off during the ride because for a split second, he can’t remember what happened or what is currently happening; he is disoriented and dizzy, greeted by the darkness of the night even when he’s freed from the boot.
It doesn’t take long before everything comes back to him, and the realisation of the severity of the situation hits him like a bat making contact with his stomach at full speed.
The two men grip his upper arms painfully and it feels like they’re throwing him around, which only worsens the younger’s dizziness. Taehyung has no clue where he is; he also has no sense of time, not knowing if it is the same night as his kidnapping or maybe a day has already passed. After all, it is difficult to get a sense of time when being constantly surrounded by darkness in the boot of a car, not able to hear anything but the motor running.
Even worse, Taehyung has no clue where they’re taking him either; maybe to a lake or a river with heavy stones bound to his feet, or maybe to an acid tank somewhere far from any town. The possibilities are endless, a truly terrifying fact.
But when Taehyung’s head finally stops spinning as much, he discovers that they are parked outside an old warehouse in the outskirts of what he thinks (but isn’t entirely sure) is Seoul. Even though he isn’t able to hear water running in the background or he can’t see any tank in the immediate area, Taehyung doesn’t feel any sort of relief; he is well aware that he could undoubtedly meet his end inside the building as well, and they could drag his death out.
Taehyung feels the panic start to rise inside him once again as he feels himself being lifted towards the warehouse with no possibility of escaping the men’s tight grip.
On the fairly short way towards the entrance of the warehouse, Taehyung manages to spot at least ten cars parked in front of the building. There are a handful of people scattered around the warehouse, rifles in their hands, likely guards from what he can tell, but Taehyung only recognises Yoongi out of the bunch. The man is walking a few metres ahead of him, also heading straight for the entrance of the warehouse.
Taehyung watches in horror as Yoongi disappears into the house, fearing for what awaits him when he gets inside too.
When Taehyung gets pulled inside the warehouse, he is for a short moment blinded by the lights. However, his eyes quickly adapt to the brightness, as Taehyung can see many of the same men that were also present when he got kidnapped from Hamyang; the only faces he knows being Seokjin, and of course Yoongi. There are also new familiar faces that weren’t in Hamyang from what Taehyung can tell, like Jungkook, Hoseok, Yongguk, Ilhoon, Joonheon, Donghyuk, and even fucking Jiho is there.
And of course, Namjoon is there too.
He's standing near a long table that is situated against a tall wall with old paint cracking off. He’s talking quietly with Hoseok and Jungkook while simultaneously examining whatever is on the table.
Taehyung's stomach sinks when he sees the display laid out on the table.
There are plenty of ropes, tapes, as well as different kinds of guns and knives, large and small. There’s even fucking as brass knuckles, hammers, and even more types of weapon that Taehyung hasn’t even seen before but which look absolutely horrifying.
At that moment, it truly sinks in for Taehyung, perhaps for the first time that entire night, that he is going to die sometime today. Not only that, but by the way the instruments are presented, he knows that his death will in all likelihood only follow after an endless amount of torturous hell.
Taehyung is dropped down onto his knees on the ground, two men not releasing their grip on his arms to make sure he doesn’t fall, seeing how both Taehyung’s feet and arms are still tied.
When Namjoon spots that they’ve arrived, he continues his conversation with Hoseok and Jungkook for a little longer, before he eventually turns around and begins to walk slowly up to Taehyung, like a predator finally having its prey surrounded and getting ready to kill it.
Namjoon is still wearing the same raven black suit and gloves, only now he has ditched the coat. Between his fingers, Taehyung spots another cigarette, and Namjoon brings it to his mouth before taking a long drag, never breaking eye contact with his boyfriend.
Namjoon’s eyes are just as cold and vile as they were mere hours early, full of promises to hurt and ruin the younger. Taehyung can barely stop the tears swelling up in his eyes once again, the look in Namjoon’s eyes scaring him beyond anything else he has ever experienced. He tries to pull himself further away from the older man, but the two men’s tight grip on him holds him in place, not allowing him to move more than small wiggles.
Taehyung tries to scream desperately but his mouth is still stuffed with the white cloth and his jaw is aching painfully at having his mouth forced open for he doesn’t know how long, so his attempts only come out as mere rumblings.
Namjoon finally comes to a halt, standing right in front of Taehyung and looking down at him with an unpleasant look on his face.
Namjoon doesn’t say anything, just keeps staring at him while smoking his damn cigarette, the heavy smell of the smoke reaching Taehyung’s nose.
Everybody else in the warehouse is dead silent, waiting somewhat anxiously (or excitedly) at their leader’s next move, pending.
“Fuck, you look pathetic,” Namjoon finally says when he finishes his cigarette, throwing the butt down onto the concrete floor right in front of Taehyung.
“Tell me, Taehyung,” he continues, voice permeated with pure venom and bitterness, “did you seriously think that you could fucking outsmart me?”
Taehyung doesn’t move an inch, not physically able to say anything with his mouth still taped over but also too scared to otherwise react to the rhetorical question. When Namjoon doesn’t get a reaction out of the younger man, he squats down in front of Taehyung and looks him dead in the eyes before slapping his cheek painfully in one quick swoop. Taehyung lets out a muffled cry, his cheek instantly stinging from the impact.
“You can’t fucking hide from me.”
Namjoon then stands up once again, his gaze never leaving the smaller man though. “I’ve known exactly where the fuck you were for like two fucking years. We found you just three fucking months after you ran away.”
The words shock Taehyung and he feels his body tremble with fear. That couldn’t be possible, how would that even-
Taehyung has so many questions that he’s not sure he wants answered. That much is apparently clear on his face, because Namjoon decides to dish it out anyway.
“Yeah, that’s fucking right. And we’ve been there, keeping an eye on you, right from the fucking moment we found you.”
Namjoon looks to his left and Taehyung's gaze follows him unwillingly.
Right there, next to Jungkook with his arm around his waist is- is-
Park Jimin.
Park Jimin from Busan. The teacher, Park Jimin. His best friend, Park Jimin.
Taehyung can’t believe his own eyes. He’s lost for words.
Taehyung barely has time to register the hurt in his heart that is flaring up as he slowly connects the dots, before Namjoon continues cruelly, wanting Taehyung to drown in his own misery.
“You see, Jungkook's sweet boyfriend Jimin is very capable and talented at going undercover. One of our best, really. And he was so nice to offer himself to go undercover when our team in South Gyeongsang found you.” Namjoon looks at Taehyung's ugly crying face with a sneer.
The hurt and betrayed look on Taehyung’s face pisses Namjoon the fuck off, and his hand shoots forward instinctually before he has a fistful of Taehyung’s hair in his hand, roughly forcing the younger’s head backwards when he pulls. “Yeah, it does fucking hurt to be betrayed by the people closest to you, doesn’t it?”
With his free hand, Namjoon grabs the edge of the gaffer tape still stuck against Taehyung’s mouth before he rips it off quickly, causing Taehyung to scream out in pain as the tape gets torn off his sensitive skin. The white cloth that has been stuck in Taehyung’s mouth immediately falls out.
Namjoon then lets go of the tape stuck to his hand and grabs Taehyung’s jaw painfully, forcing him to look straight into his eyes again. Taehyung sees it in Namjoon's wild, crazy eyes; the desire to hurt, to destroy, to kill; he sees the older man’s hunger for revenge.
“Pl-pleas’ do’nt k-kill me-e,'' Taehyung wails, absolutely terrified as the begs the man he used to love the most.
“Oh baby, I would never kill you,” Namjoon replied, his face slowly lightening up in a predatory smile. “How could I kill my own boyfriend? No, you see, I would never hurt you. It seems like you’re the only one of us who could try to fucking kill the other, and you fucking did try when you stabbed me right in the fucking heart.”
Taehyung closes his eyes; the words escaping Namjoon’s lips feels like daggers going right through his heart. He knows that he did break Namjoon’s heart when he ran away, and that it probably felt like a stab wound. After all, Taehyung could feel the aftermath in his own heart.
Things weren’t supposed to end like this. Everything they had grown together had now turned rotten and toxic.
“But,” Namjoon continues, ignoring the tears on Taehyung’s face. “I do understand that you were scared. I know that it must have been such a shock to you when I got arrested and sentenced, no?”
Namjoon’s voice is dripping with sarcasm, and Taehyung realises that the older man is mocking him. “Which is why I think you should learn what exactly it is that Hyung does when he’s at work, no?”
Namjoon moves his body slightly to the left, and Taehyung notices a figure behind him. It is a man bound to a chair, his t-shirt dirty with what looked like bloodstains. Worst of all, Taehyung saw the brown bag placed over the man’s head, and he knew immediately what was going on.
Taehyung hears faint steps before he sees Yoongi walk up to the man before pulling the bag off harshly and inconsiderately. The removal of the bag reveals a bloodied and bruised face, almost beyond recognition, and Taehyung instinctively flies backwards but is stopped by Namjoon’s solid body blocking him, as Namjoon has moved around and now sits right behind him. The two men let go of Taehyung’s arms and Taehyung can feel Namjoon’s arms wrap around his waist, engulfing him and pulling him closer so that Taehyung’s back is leaning against Namjoon’s hard chest.
“You see that man over there, Taehyung?” Namjoon’s voice is almost a whisper. “He decided to try and fuck with me. He tried to insert himself and his pathetic little group of boys into one of my drug trades in the hopes of being able to take over that specific trade route himself. That’s not a very nice thing to do, now is it?”
Taehyung is shaking violently, not able to tear his eyes off the blooded and not-moving man. Taehyung is absolutely petrified and the fear paralyses him.
Namjoon brings one of his hands up into Taehyung’s hair once again, gripping it tightly and making Taehyung’s scalp ache.
“Is it? ”
Taehyung is set into motion at the sudden spike in pain and shakes his head violently, as much as the fist in his hair allows him to. Taehyung tries to speak but no words come out of his mouth, almost as if he has swallowed his own tongue.
“Mhm,” Namjoon praises when Taehyung responds, his grip loosening somewhat. “We decided to start the fun a little bit earlier than planned, sorry about that. But our earlier treatment of him is nothing serious, I promise. Now the fun part begins.”
Taehyung doesn’t catch what Namjoon does or doesn’t do, but Joonkyung suddenly walks over to the man, holding a large bucket one hand. With steady hands, he throws the water inside the bucket onto the man, aiming primarily for his head, which causes the man to yelp and wake up, cursing and crying all at the same time.
“Jungkook,” Namjoon simply orders, and Taehyung hears some rustling over at the table but he doesn’t dare to look.
Then Jungkook makes his way to the man, replacing Joonkyung’s spot in front of him. He almost doesn’t catch it but Taehyung does notice the two brass knuckles on each of Jungkook’s hands before Jungkook begins to throw punches at the man. Jungkook is powerful in each of his punches, mostly sticking to the man’s head and chest area, leaving devastating bruises and open wounds wherever he reaches. The man is howling and blood gushes out from almost each hit Jungkook lands. The sounds, the man’s cries as well as the brass knuckles striking the man’s skin and bones, makes Taehyung want to vomit and he wiggles desperately from side to side, trying to block out the sound and sight in front of him.
“Ah, ah, baby,” Namjoon tuts, forcing Taehyung’s head still with his grip in taehyung’s hair. “Sit still and keep your eyes open.”
Taehyung wants to close his eyes so badly, to be able to cut off at least one of his senses that are being forced to register the atrocities playing out right in front of him, but he is frightened and doesn’t dare; after all, while the gruesome beating of the man are being observed by a lot of the men in the warehouse, he knows that he himself is being watched like a hawk by just as many.
It's truly a vile sight, the way Jungkook mercilessly delivers one blow after another, relentlessly, the brass knuckles tearing the skin open wherever it lands. Blood is streaming down the man’s face, down his teeth and further out of his mouth, and the man is seemingly choking on the blood that is accumulating inside his mouth.
The man doesn’t even dare to look relieved when Jungkook finally steps back after what seems like 10 whole minutes of continuous punches. Rather, his head falls forward limply, like the man is too out of it to even hold its weight. The man does manage to spit out the blood in his mouth and alongside the thick red fluid, three teeth land on the concrete floor.
Jungkook's knuckles and hands are also dripping with blood, but Taehyung knows that it is not the younger man’s own blood.
“Oh, he’s still conscious,” Namjoon declares, sounding almost disappointed.
“Are you still with me, Taehyung?” Namjoon asks, voice sounding so soft and tender that it’s obvious to everyone that he is mocking the boy. “Don’t you think that it is so sad that things have to end like this for him?”
Taehyung doesn’t say anything, but begins to sob.
Namjoon keeps quiet for a long time before he speaks up once again.
“I don't like it when people cross me, Taehyung,” the sadness in Namjoon's voice was extremely exaggerated, undoubtedly taunting Taehyung. “It makes me so sad and upset.”
Namjoon feels the anger flare up inside him, when Taehyung doesn’t react, when he doesn’t apologise for crossing him, for leaving him-
“So how the fuck do you think-,” Namjoon’s controlled facade begins to slip away from him quickly, and his voice gets louder and angrier, until he's roaring. “-I reacted when i found out that my boyfriend, the fucking love of my life, had run away?! And that I couldn't physically do anything about it?!”
Taehyung huddles at the venom, but worst of all, genuine hurt and desperation in Namjoon’s voice.
Namjoon eventually forces himself to calm somewhat down, taking a moment of silence before the same overly sweet voice and facade comes back. Clearly, the older man has a plan for how this night is going to play out.
“Jimin is really convincing as a teacher, don’t you think, Taehyung?” Namjoon asks sweetly, suddenly changing the topic, completely ignoring the groans and cries of the beaten man. “And he’s such a good friend, isn’t he?”
Taehyung doesn’t say anything, just continues to cry and look down into the ground.
“I heard all about your fun times together!” Namjoon continues when Taehyung keeps silent. “And the little trips you went on together. It really did sound like you two had such a great time together! I’m so happy that you got such a good and close friend while you were away!”
Taehyung shakily moves his gaze towards the tables where Jimin is still standing. Their eyes meet for a brief second, and Taehyung feels an overwhelming mixture of sorrow, rage, and betrayal sweep through him when the two lock eyes. Jimin’s face is completely neutral, no feelings whatsoever present on his face. Jimin's eyes, however, are cold and a bit harsh, and there is absolutely no sign of regret or guilt to be found.
Jimin was never his friend, Taehyung realises. He was simply a man on a mission, who would do everything in his power to succeed in the task he’d been given. It was absolutely sickening to Taehyung, the way he had opened up to Jimin, had trusted him, only for Jimin to use it as information to accomplish his task.
All of it meant nothing to Jimin, Taehyung realises.
“We've known where you were for years,” Namjoon repeats once again, as to further Taehyung’s hurt. “But I let you be because I was still rather preoccupied with figuring out how to get out of prison earlier, so it didn’t fucking matter if you were physically there or with us in Seoul. So instead of bringing you back home to us, we went to you.”
“Plus,” Namjoon continues. “It was fun to see you feel like you had finally escaped my grip, all while knowing that your fucking days in that place were fucking numbered, that I held the all the decisions regarding your whole fucking life, where you were, who you were with, all in the palm of my fucking hand, ready to take it away at a moments notice if I wished to. And don’t you worry, I fucking knew that the moment I would get out, I was going to burst your fucking bubble and take what is mine back, after tending to some unfinished business with the people who got me in prison in the first fucking place. So you should feel lucky that I gave you a whole extra week, baby.”
Namjoon leans in and whispers right into his ear, causing Taehyung to shiver unpleasantly. “It’s amazing what you can do when your power is greater than that of the justice system and police. I think it’s a pretty good deal that I got out only after serving a little over 2 years, don’t you?”
Taehyung shakes violently at the horrendous things being said.
“When will you learn that you can’t run away from me?” Namjoon whispers, breathing heavily into Taehyung’s ear. “No matter where you go, I will find you in no fucking time. You can’t escape, Taehyung.”
After letting the words linger, Namjoon finally moves his head a bit backwards again and Taehyung wants to sigh in relief but he feels anything but relief.
“Now,” Namjoon declares loudly. “I think it’s time that we start the main event. Remove his clothes.”
Ilhoon and Jooheon step forward and head towards the beaten man before they begin to cut the man’s clothes off him with small pocket knives, not bothering to release him from the ropes as they undress him. Not long after, the two men retreat, leaving the naked man alone once again.
“Now what should we do, hmm?” Namjoon wonders aloud. “How can we make it obvious to Mr. Shin over there that we are not very happy with him intervening in our business? Do you have any suggestions, Taehyung?”
Taehyung doesn’t say a peep, not until his hair is yet again being yanked backwards painfully, and he cries out, “No, I don't know!”
“Hmm,” Namjoon loosens his grip once again, satisfied with the boy’s compliance. “I think I have an idea! Yoongi?”
Yoongi then walks closer to the man, holding a sharp pocket knife in his hands; the smaller size of the knife makes it easy to make one’s carvings more precise.
“You know what I think we should do?” Namjoon all but whispers into Taehyung’s ear, even though he’s officially talking to Yoongi; but Taehyung knows this shit right here, this whole fucking thing, is all a show Namjoon has put on for Taehyung, and Taehyung knows that Namjoon has a clear object in mind with the whole thing.
And Taehyung is slowly beginning to realise what it was.
“I think we should introduce ourselves to Mr. Shin more properly, don’t you? We’ve been so rude; we haven’t even given him our name yet!”
Taehyung is shaking like a leaf, not sure where this is going. Namjoon is unpredictable.
“So here's what we’re gonna do, Yoongi,” Namjoon is now back whispering into Taehyung’s ear. He finally releases his tight grip of Taehyung’s hair completely but stays seated right behind Taehyung.
“We’re gonna write the letter B- ,” Namjoon whispers, his finger slowly drawing a large B onto Taehyung's clothed stomach. “-Right here. Then we’re gonna write a T-,” Namjoon continues, his finger drawing a T. “-And then we’re gonna write a S, right here,” Namjoon’s finger then draws a S right next to where he has just drawn the T.
“Can you tell Hyung what that says, Taehyung?”
“BTS,” Taehyung replies quietly, eyes staring into the cold floor as it dawns upon him.
BTS .
They’re called BTS.
“Yes, that is correct, baby, well done!” Namjoon praises, the utter joy in his voice utterly demeaning. “Then I’m sure Mr. Shin will get to know us very well. Yoongi?”
Taehyung watches in absolute horror as Yoongi leads the pocket knife in his hands closer to the man’s stomach before he brutally stabs him, the whole blade of the knife disappearing into the flesh. Mr. Shin screams out in pain, trying desperately to get away from Yoongi and the knife but not moving the chair even an inch.
Yoongi then painfully slowly begins to move the handle of the knife downwards, the blade cutting through the flesh as it follows the movement as blood streams out from the open wound that is still being enlarged with every movement. When a long, perfect line has been carved, Yoongi twists the knife, blade still hidden deep inside the flesh, before he begins to move the knife in a half-moon shape, completely ignoring the almost overpowering screams and cries from Mr. Shin.
Taehyung tries to scramble back at the gruesome sight, eyes wide and watery as he regards the fucking torture happening right in front of him, but Namjoon’s chest doesn’t move even one inch. Namjoon simply tightens his grip around Taehyung as if he’s scared that Taehyung will try to run away, despite Taehyung still being bound.
“H-Hyung!” Taehyung begs Namjoon while he is sobbing, wanting the sadistic sight in front of him to stop at all costs. “Please stop it, please stop it! Please! ”
When the knife is finally connected to the point where it started, Yoongi pulls out the blade, and Taehyung is barely able to see the very precisely made B from all the blood that is gushing out from the deep, open wounds.
Yoongi then stabs the man once again and slowly starts to carve a large T right next to the B.
“Stop!” Taehyung now screams, the loudness of his own scream now threatening to compete with Mr. Shin’s.
One of Namjoon’s hands shoots up and grabs Taehyung’s jaw painfully tightly, forcing his head still.
“This is part of your punishment, Taehyung,” he whispers, his voice soft in a mocking way.
Yoongi is by this point already well ahead in the carving of the S, working concentratedly and skillfully, like a fucking psychopath.
When Yoongi finishes carving in the S , he leaves the blade of the knife inside Mr. Shin’s stomach as he lets go of the handle and takes a few steps away, looking as if he’s almost admiring his own work.
“Boss?” Taehyung hears Hoseok call, and Taehyung can feel Namjoon nod behind him, seemingly giving the green light to whatever Hoseok is silently asking him. Taehyung then sees Hoseok take Yoongi’s place in front of the wounded man, only Hoseok is not holding a pocket knife in his hands but a fucking cleaver.
This time around, Taehyung begins to seriously struggle as panic instantly sets in, knowing very well what is going to happen to Mr. Shin. Taehyung forces his entire body, using all the strength left in him, back against Namjoon's chest, wriggling hysterically. He can feel his ears buzz and his breath shortening, and Taehyung knows that he’s on the verge of having a full on panic attack.
“Oh, do you not want to watch anymore, baby?” Namjoon asks, sounding concerned. He looks down at Taehyung as the younger man has now managed to slide down into Namjoon's lap in his attempt at getting away. “But we’ve only just begun!”
“P-please,” Taehyung sobs, completely breaking down at this point, not caring about where it will lead him. His whole body shakes violently as he wails, and he can barely register his surroundings at this point, completely out of it. “Please-pl- I don’-don’t wanna b-be he-re. P-please c-can w-we jus’ g-get h-h-hom’?”
Namjoon’s earlier mocking facade disappears immediately, and his ice-cold eyes stare viciously down at Taehyung.
“Home? You wanna go fucking home? " he rages. In the blink of an eye, Namjoon lifts his hand and slaps Taehyung’s right cheek painfully before grabbing the younger’s jaw and cheeks chillingly. “You mean the fucking place you ran away from?”
Taehyung is too terrified to utter a single word but at the same time is not capable of containing his hysterical crying. Namjoon is a fucking timebomb, ready to explode at any time, and Taehyung doesn’t know how to read him, doesn’t know what his next move is.
It’s getting increasingly harder to hear Namjoon’s words due to Mr. Shin’s wails and screams, but Taehyung is for once so grateful that he in this position can’t see the way Hoseok is undoubtedly slowly beginning to cut several body parts off.
Namjoon stays quiet after his outburst, seemingly forcing himself to calm down once again. He then looks down at Taehyung and just looks; he’s clearly searching for something in Taehyung’s wet eyes and face, but Taehyung doesn’t know what, can’t even think straight at this point.
Finally, Namjoon lowers his head and gets closer to Taehyung’s face, their lips almost touching at this point.
“I swear,” he whispers against Taehyung’s lips that are wet with tears. “You will never fucking leave that apartment ever again.”